Putting her best foot forward

SHE LAUNCHED her own footwear brand, Muñiz Shoes, recently. Now, TV host-actress Carmina Villaroel dreams of opening her own store in the next few years.

“I also hope to widen the brand’s range to cater to more people,” she told Living Stars. Most of her products are sold online (www.munizshoes.com) or at the Ensemble boutique in TriNoma Mall.

Carmina said her “very limited” summer collection is already in production.

“I’ve had hits and misses. I learned a lot in the one year that I’ve been working on this,” said the 35-year-old celebrity entrepreneur. “My customers are Filipinos in Germany, Abu Dhabi, Australia, Canada and Japan. This amazes me, because there are a lot of good shoe brands out there.”

Carmina—who juggles several hosting and acting jobs on GMA 7—said she personally tests each design of her shoe brand. “It’s all about how a pair is made. Our feet have to be comfortable. I’m proud of the shoes that I sell. They can compete with all the Christian Louboutins or Jimmy Choos in the world, in terms of quality.”

Muñiz Shoes makes only five pairs per size. “‘Pag nakakuha ka ng isa, you’ll feel special,” she said.

Shoe designs

Since Gelli de Belen is my best friend, I named one design after her—Gianelli. There’s also one for Ate Janice. I named it Catherine, her first name.

My sister Sheila also has a style named after her. There’s one called Carmen, after my late mom; Maura, my grandma. Other styles include Alexa, named after my niece; Margaret, my sister-in-law; and Antonia, after my guy best friend Antonio.

Bags

I was once hooked on Hermes and other luxury bags. Now I just use my YSL Easy bag. I need a big bag because I’m a busy person. This bag is so light and made from patent leather. I first got it in cherry red, then in black. Since blue is the lucky color for the Year of the Rabbit, I bought one, too. It’s classy. I use it for both casual and formal events.

Tops

I’m currently into boyfriend shirts. I like to wear them with shorts or skinny jeans. I just tuck it in for a more girly look, then accessorize with a nice belt and necklace.

I also like shawls—pang-porma but they also keep you warm. I have them in different designs and materials.

Back in high school, I was known as Miss Lampin because I always carried a baby cloth around. Up to now I still have a lot of these in my closet. It’s like a security blanket for me. Recently, my sister gifted me with a set of personalized lampin. They all have the letter “M” embroidered on them. I have them in yellow, blue and pink.

Bottoms

My favorite is a pair of ripped jeans from Armani. I bought it three Christmases ago. I have this thing for ripped jeans even back in grade school.

The Abercrombie is also special. I got it in the United States during a memorable trip with my siblings. When my dad saw it, he said, “I can never understand kids’ preference in fashion these days.” That was funny. I have a few ripped shorts, too. I match them with my boyfriend shirts.

Scents

I’m very loyal to Chizpaz cologne. I’ve seen it change packaging several times through the years. I also like the smell of Baby Grace. I’m also into Jo Malone, especially the Grapefruit and Lime/Basil/Mandarin variety. I experiment in other scents like the Nutmeg and Ginger, Amber and Lavender, or the French Lime. Talking about these scents makes me think about cooking. (Carmina will host a new show, “Amazing Cooking Kids,” which premieres in April on GMA 7.)

Ref magnets

I’ve been collecting them since I was 18. Most of these were bought during my travels, but the others are gifts from close friends who know that I collect ref magnets. My newest piece is the Philippine flag magnet.

This fascination with magnets started with my mom. I have magnets from Baguio, Iloilo, Boracay, Bohol. I have Winnie the Pooh magnets. I have fruit and vegetable magnets. I have a battery-operated phone magnet that rings when a button is pressed. I have all sorts, including this mom-and-daughter set.