The evolution of Martish store

Sunday, February 5, 2012

WHEN Martish store opened in June 2010, owners Marga Montemayor-Nograles and Tisha Ang-Dominguez, who are also cousins, wanted it to be a multi-brand Lifestyle Store that housed every latest style must-have.

A lot have changed since, as the young ladies are now young mommies.

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"Martish is the store where you can find what Tisha and I love most. Now we are moms now and we will be carrying baby brands to reach the country for the first time," Nograles said in a recent interview.

Nograles reveals that they are bringing Pediped, a high-end brand of US shoes that is the only shoe approved by Harvard University as best for the feet of kids. Based on studies conducted by podiatrists, the brand is the best for the feet of toddlers and children.

"I love brand ever since I became a mom. We have brought it in Manila and we will be bringing it to Davao by the second quarter of this year," she said.

Another brand Nograles gushes about is Jujube diaper bags and gear which is also exclusively distributed by Martish.

"It is also a high-end brand and they have the Earth Leather line which is exciting," she said.

Since it opened, Martish has become one of Davao's shopping destination. The store holds one of the region's biggest Havaianas Hubs and a complete selection of "must haves".

Martish houses pieces by Nicole Whisenhunt, Joyce Makitalo and Bettina Osme¤a as well as collections of Luca, V Clothing, Filipo by Philip Rodriguez.

As young mothers, the fashion house now also carries Bianca Aranata's Eden Mommy Line.

From a wide mix of everything fun, chic and fashionable to the basic everyday staples of the many celebrated Philippine Fashion Designers, Martish boasts to have every latest style must have.

More importantly, the store proves to be a product of shopping research, travel and experience by its owners.

"We are here to share with Mindanao what we love most from all over the Philippines and abroad," the owners said in a previous statement.

"You'll find here a wide selection of products from must-haves to unique finds to the most coveted conversation pieces. We wanted brands you cannot easily find in the malls but are made known only by word of mouth. So that's also how the store became known, by word of mouth," Nograles said in an earlier interview.

"We take this practice into our store by making sure we offer items that people can buy without having to think twice along with the ones that require a bit more of an investment. The common denominator of course is that everything we carry meets our own stringent criteria for quality and style," Nograles said.

Martish staged a Parisian-inspired fashion show dubbed "The White Runway: A 2010 Fall Fashion Forecast" at the Marco Polo Hotel two years ago.

"Most of the suppliers of Martish are friends who prioritize us each time something new comes out, each time a new style comes out. These suppliers also want to make their presence felt in Davao City," she said.

Martish store is located at Door 4 Deri Building, J.P. Laurel Avenue, Bajada (beside Villa Margarita). The store is open from Monday to Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.