One of the things I most like about my job is finding new talent, especially when I least expect it. While at the Celestina showroom seeing designer Tina Maristela-Ocampo’s latest amazing crocodile totes and shell minaudières, I spotted embellished T-shirts lying around the space. Betina Ocampo, her daughter who is still a student at Parsons, is the woman behind the new line Betina. Why a T-shirt line? “I’m following the path my dad took in the beginning of his career—dropping out of college at 17 to hand-paint one-of-a-kind T-shirts. His project became an instant success at that, and so I decided to do my very own version of his earliest works,” she says. Every piece is hand-embroidered with precious metals and mother-of-pearl. “My inspiration comes from all my travels around Southeast Asia, watching my parents work with skilled artisans who specialize in many different techniques,” she says. This is her first collection ($300-$1,000), but the looks are strong, with heavy attention to detail. Retailers around the globe—I’m hoping to see her shirts in stores soon.
—Marina Larroude
Photo: Thomas Iannaccone
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