Despite her busy schedule, I had the wonderful opportunity to chat with entrepreneur, Cris Roque who truly defines what beauty should be. Exquisiteness is indeed evident in her clothing line, Kamiseta, Kamiseta Skin Clinic, Kamiseta Skin Care System and Kamiseta Boutique hotel. Just being around Cris, brightened my day as she not only radiates splendor, but inspiration from the heart.
While growing up, Cris dreamed of having a comfortable and secure life. “Most of my peers wanted to be a doctor, lawyer, businessman or fashion designer, while I, on the other hand, just longed to get out of our situation and have a better life. I didn’t have it easy while growing up. My parents had seven children and I witnessed how they struggled to send us all to good schools and provide for our daily needs,” she shares.
Back in college, Cris was already interested in fashion. “I made sure I was always well-dressed, but this didn’t mean I had money to buy expensive clothes. Quite the contrary, since I didn’t come from a rich family and had limited resources,” Cris narrates. After graduating with a degree in Industrial Engineering, Cris pursued her dream. With her drive and determination, Cris never held back and knew early on that she needed to work hard to be successful. Now that she has spent 26 years as a businesswoman, Cris will never forget her humble beginnings. “Going into retail was not a dream, it was born out of necessity. I got here because I took a calculated risk.”
The desire to fully express herself through fashion, led her to be wise and grounded. “I shopped for fabrics and looked for a seamstress who could create the clothes I wanted to wear. My interest and knowledge of fashion and clothing grew from then on.” Cris transformed her passion for fashion into a business and opened Kamiseta. “This seemed like the natural and most logical thing to do. This was only the beginning and it took a lot of hard work to get to where my business is today.”
Her vision for Kamiseta was to provide stylish, comfortable and affordable clothing to the fashionista’s at heart, because it’s fun being a girl. Whether you’re going to a party, have a date with your significant other or just want to stroll the mall, Kamiseta is a one-stop-shop for your attire. There are a variety of dresses, skirts, blouses, pants, shirts, jumpsuits and matching accessories to choose from. The designs are fresh, timeless and suitable for contemporary women. With over forty stores available nationwide, it’s no wonder that Kamiseta is one of the most sought after brand in the Philippines.
Although she has a lot on her plate, Cris is constantly surrounded by inspiration. “I get inspired by everything—songs, books, movies, sights, when I look out the window, paintings on a wall, travel, food, patterns, random stuff on social media, conversations, my childhood, everything. To me, inspiration is everywhere. You don’t even have to look for it; it’s just there.” A smile plays on her lips.
Despite having successful businesses with celebrity endorsers like actress, Heart Evangelista and bag designer, Mai Mai Cojuangco who have embraced her brand, she also faced some hurdles. “Money was a challenge at the start, but thanks to my parents who always made me feel I could conquer whatever obstacle life threw my way. I didn’t allow the problem to hinder me and overcame it by actively thinking of a solution. In the end, this made me smarter, more resourceful, and a better strategist,” she says with conviction.
Being the positive person that she truly is taught Cris not to dwell and worry about things you don’t have control of. “I learned to listen to my heart and maximize the resources at your disposal to actually make the best of the situation you are in.”
When she opened her retail clothing line, Kamiseta, Cris faced the reality that there is fierce competition in business. “Competition is inevitable in this industry, and that was something I had a hard time accepting in the beginning. It was difficult to adjust to a dog-eat-dog world. I got into clothing retail business not to make it big or crush the competition, but because I was genuinely passionate about fashion, making people happy, and earning enough to live a comfortable life. I wasn’t prepared for any sort of rivalry, but competition is part and parcel of it all. I learned to live with that. We can at least make it healthy and turn it into an opportunity for growth.”
Nothing stops this dynamic woman from achieving her dreams. After conquering the fashion industry where she made women feel beautiful and confident about how they dress, Cris ventured into the skin care industry and founded Kamiseta Skin Clinic where she provides innovative laser machines for a variety of treatments that will transform your skin. People who leave her skin clinic not only feel rejuvenated, but transformed within.
Cris works with an in-house medical director and board-certified doctors.“We offer Revlite for skin brightening, whitening and rejuvenation, Ulthera, which tightens your skin, White Laser for skin whitening for both face and body, Venus Freeze for skin tightening of face and body, hydra facial and super facial care, Gmax Pro the gold standard for laser hair removal for face and body. Legend laser to tighten skin and tone your body, Therm-Lift, which is a non-invasive face and body lift, Fotona 4D laser, the 4D non-invasive face lift which resurfaces your skin and the Kamiseta signature facial for one seeking that distinct glow. We also provide our own line of skin care products.”
Being a new player in the industry compelled Cris to be at par and provide services that are within the same level or even better than those provided by the market leaders. “I do thorough research and market studies to really know what people think and want. The advantage of being in the clothing retail industry for a long time, is that I already have an intimate knowledge of the market my skin care business caters to,” she relays.
To add a feather to her cap, Cris is also the proud owner of Kamiseta Boutique Hotel located in Baguio city which is known for its avant-garde design that takes you away from the mundane world and allows you to immerse into a blissful sanctuary. Her fine attention to details takes beauty into a whole new level. The Kamiseta brand has truly evolved from a clothing line, to skin care and now an exciting destination. “I believe my purpose in this world is to provide jobs and uplift the lives of the people I work with.” Cris deems that success is meant to be shared. “My success in business is not only my own, but theirs as well. I am eternally grateful for the support of dedicated, hardworking, trustworthy, and loyal people who have been with me from the time I was just starting.”
While Cris continues to live in the moment, she’s hoping to expand her clothing line, skin care business/skin clinic and engage more in the hotel business. “My greatest achievement comes in the form of every satisfied customer who walks out of my store. Their satisfaction is mine as well. The last thing I want is to make them feel shortchanged. People work hard to earn a living, and giving them something that’s worth less than what they paid for with their hard-earned money is like stealing.” Her goal has always been to bring joy through the products they lovingly and carefully create and the services they thoughtfully render.
“I make sure I give my best in everything that I do, be it a major project or a mundane daily task. I have to be convinced that I gave my absolute best, and that the products we sell and services we offer are already in the best form and state that that they can possibly be. This is also the reason I demand only perfection from the people I work with. Strive for excellence always. There is no room for mediocrity. Nothing gives me greater discomfort or unease than the thought of not having done my best in something. After all, anything worth doing is worth doing excellently. And when you give your best, you won’t have any regrets in the end.”
Upon making decisions, Cris’ objective is to always be decisive and not tentative. “When a decision needs to be made, make a decision, whether good or bad. The most important thing is we make a decision.” Cris also believes there is a lesson to be learned in every failure. “An experience that’s been only smooth-sailing all throughout can only give you so much. A defeat, on the other hand, will most certainly offer a lesson and an opportunity to get back up again and do better. In that sense, it is when we lose that we win the most. So don’t let a failure set you back. When you learn from it, you can most definitely say that you’ve been victorious against it.”
Through her experiences, Cris has set a powerful name for the Kamiseta brand. “I know the feeling of what it’s like to have little, or to have barely enough. Having been in that position made me more sensitive and want to help others rise above it as well. Now that I think about it, the beauty in not having it all at the beginning is the discovery that you are stronger, smarter, and braver than you thought you were.”
Cris Roque has truly defined the essence of beauty and her businesses are manifestations of inspiration, hard work and determination.
https://www.kamiseta.com/
http://kamisetaskin.com/