Olivia Sylvia Estrada

<p><strong><a href="https://www.instagram.com/paulinapaige/?hl=en" target="_blank">Paulina Paige Ortega</a></strong> is not known for only just one thing. She is constantly in flux with several different pursuits. On any given day, there is a chance you’ve seen her work, or are even currently wearing it, knowingly or not.</p><div><br/></div><p>Paulina is a designer, creative director, and brand strategist. Her portfolio consists of work for <strong>Uniqlo</strong> and <strong>Barbie</strong>, but also for <strong>Ayala</strong> and <strong>Samsung</strong>, spanning several destinations like <strong>Singapore</strong> and <strong>New York</strong>. It’s not about what Pauline has done, it’s about what she can’t do, and what she’s up to next. </p><div><br/></div><p>If one must summarize it, currently she is the Co-founder and Creative Director of the multi-disciplinary design practice <a href="https://www.instagram.com/actuelstudio/?hl=en" target="_blank">Actuel Studio</a> and athleisure brand <a href="https://www.instagram.com/our.recess/?hl=en" target="_blank">Our Recess</a>. On top of that, she is now the Creative Director of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/elleaus/?hl=en" target="_blank">Elle Australia</a>, heralding an electric chapter for the respected publication. It also means that you’ll be seeing more and more of Paulina’s work, in the context of an even bigger audience.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/e55b5149-1f35-45e9-b551-0b51ea9568bb_b-paulina-fascinating-women-2024.png" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Photographed by Ellen Virgona</span></span></span></div><blockquote>“<em>I should add that I am also consistently inspired by the amazing creative women I surround myself with. I consider my female friendships to be a cornerstone of everyday support and inspiration.</em>” - Paulina Paige Ortega</blockquote><p>Paulina is truly an example of the many women, creating a future where young girls of today can shape. The term “multi-hyphenate” is often used, but women like Paulina show off how women have always been multi-faceted. Women can take on multiple roles, as much as they should be free to focus on their sole passions. Women can dabble into different realms--and be good at it. If there is a space that women have yet to excel in, it’s not about a lack of ability, but simply making room where they can flourish. </p><div><br/></div><p>In this light, Paulina concentrates not only on what she can do for herself, but she helps create a medium for other women to occupy and showcase their talent. She talks fondly of Recess which lets her “work with exciting young talent, and feature women whose lives, work, and pursuit of well-being are inspiring.”</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/30a857ea-a915-4014-a3bf-793c36d716af_paulinao-20.png" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Photographed by Ellen Virgona</span></span></span></div><p>For this year’s <strong>Fascinating Women</strong> feature, <strong>Metro.Style </strong>takes time to check in with Paulina. We discuss what fuels her creativity, what’s a day in her life like, and how women constantly serve to be an inspiration in her work. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Metro.Style:</strong> <strong>You’re known for so many creative pursuits, what inspires you to keep pushing yourself and making yourself passionate about all these endeavors?</strong></div><div><br/></div><p><strong>Paulina Paige Ortega:</strong> I think it’s the simple fact that I enjoy what I do and take pleasure in the process of creating and collaborating, of bringing interesting ideas to life. Ultimately, I’ve learned that the way to make the most out of the creative process is to focus more on the doing and less on the results. It’s about finding joy in the process, which, thankfully, I always have and still do.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>MS:</strong> <strong>Describe to us a day in your life. How do you balance your multiple roles? </strong></div><div><br/></div><p><strong>PPO:</strong> I don’t see my roles as very different or separate from one another. Certainly, I work with different teams and collaborators, but so do lawyers and business executives. By that, I mean I don’t necessarily see it as unique to me, or my profession. There is a sense of seamlessness in what I do, in that I guide the creative output and realization of ideas for my various clients through my design studio Actuel, for my brand Recess, and our team at Australian Elle. It’s the same core function of creative problem-solving and expression applied across different surfaces if you will. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>MS:</strong> <strong>Who are your fashion and design favorites? How do their influences come out in your work?</strong> </div><div><br/></div><p><strong>PPO:</strong> Truly, there are too many to mention and often certain bodies of work stay top of mind more than others during different stages of life. I am continuously inspired by <strong>Eileen Grey</strong> and <strong>Muccia Prada</strong> and have been drawing inspiration from their lives and work. For instance, I find it very inspiring how multi-disciplinary Eileen’s outwork has been—from furniture design, architecture, and even rug design. I am endlessly inspired by the feminism and subversiveness that runs through all of Mrs. Prada’s work. </p><div><br/></div><p>I should add that I am also consistently inspired by the amazing creative women I surround myself with. I am lucky to have friends and family with whom I can sharpen intellectual knives with, be inspired by, and learn from every day. I consider my female friendships to be a cornerstone of everyday support and inspiration.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/5a6266df-7fb7-4f55-8f34-0dd6962ff657_paulinao-10.png" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Photographed by Ellen Virgona</span></span></span></div><div><strong>MS: What do you hope to accomplish especially with your new role at Elle Australia?</strong></div><div><br/></div><p><strong>PPO:</strong> I hope to bring a fresh perspective to things, one that is reflective of today’s Australian woman. As a fairly recent Australian myself (I became Australian a few years ago after having moved to the country in my late 20s), I hope to preserve that slight bit of an outsider’s perspective in seeing and appreciating the culture here and what makes it so great. I hope this comes through in the work we produce for Elle. I also very much hope to collaborate with a diverse pool of Australians and emerging talents and give them a platform to shine.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>MS: How do you use your platform to advocate for issues important to you?</strong></div><div><br/></div><p><strong>PPO:</strong> It also comes through the businesses I choose to partner with and collaborate with through Actuel. We prioritize working with individuals and companies whose vision we align with and whose ideas we want to help bring to life. The same applies to Recess, it’s also a platform that allows me to work with exciting young talent, and feature women whose lives, work, and pursuit of well-being are inspiring.</p><div><br/></div><div><em>Photo Courtesy of Paulina Paige Ortega</em></div><div><em>Photographed by Ellen Virgona</em></div><div><br/></div>

Fascinating Women 2024: Creative Director Paulina Paige Ortega | ABS-CBN

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Fascinating Women 2024: Creative Director Paulina Paige Ortega

Fascinating Women 2024: Creative Director Paulina Paige Ortega

Olivia Sylvia Estrada

Published Mar 23, 2024 09:00 AM PHT

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Updated Mar 26, 2024 02:28 PM PHT

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