#QuaranWins: Keeping the passion burning

#QuaranWins: Keeping the passion burning



What once was a vibrant, dynamic, and often sleepless world all too quickly came to a halt.

During the pandemic, nobody ever prayed for canceled events, plans, and even livelihoods.

In an earlier report by SunStar Cebu, the Social Weather Station survey reported that one out of five adult Filipinos lost their job due to the Covid-19 crisis.

True, there are multiple depressing stories due to the pandemic, but that shouldn’t necessarily dim out the stories of success and perseverance that took place in this dark era.

Meet 23-year-old Kaye Vannessa Espinosa, who kickstarted Lemniscate, a handmade jewelry business in Cebu City.

Lemniscate originally started in 2019, released its last collection in February 2020, and rebooted the shop five months into the pandemic, September.

“It was supposed to be a one-time thing only, but people welcomed my business positively,” Kaye shared during her interview in Quaranwins, a quick video produced by SunStar Cebu celebrating small wins during the quarantine.

When the pandemic slowly started creeping in the country in February, Kaye no longer planned to make new collections since “we have to be sensitive and empathetic with each other. A lot of people lost their jobs,” However, the hiatus was short-lived after noticing that various online shops opened.

At first, she was hesitant to get back to business for fear that people might interpret her decisions as “insensitive,” but as Kaye shared, “it’s my passion, but it’s also one of my biggest sources of income. I also need to keep it alive.”

With at least 8-9 collections released before its quick hiatus, Kaye shares that conceptualizing a collection can be a little time-consuming. Fast forward to the quarantine zone, everything else became a tad more difficult.

For one, procuring materials while in the middle of a pandemic proved to be a challenge. Before, she would visit downtown Cebu and purchase from shops that sold whatever it was she’s looking for. Now, with most of the shops temporarily closed, Kaye relies on online shops.

“Sometimes, what you see online isn’t exactly what you get. So, you have to tweak your design,”

She also takes time to study her clienteles’ tastes.

“I just don’t want to release anything without having any relevance,”

Making sure her jewelry designs are trendy, sophisticated, and extra, Kaye released her Beach collection in September with the motivation to “bring” the beach to the people.

The easing of quarantine restrictions definitely helped Kaye and her business. She shared that purchasing materials have become easier compared to the first few months during the lockdown.

With intricately beautiful designs sold at an affordable price, Kaye continues to amaze her clientele, including Frankie Pangilinan!

Her love for arts and craft, ever since she was little, bloomed into a business she’s passionate about. Despite the setbacks brought about by Covid-19, that did not stop her from swimming against the current.

For local creators out there who want to start a business but are hesitant to do so, Kaye only has four words for you: “Just start doing it!”

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