Krizia Jimenez on Building Antler Accessories as a One-Woman Brand

Krizia Jimenez discusses fashion as art, running two independent labels, and building a design methodology of her own.

“I got into the arts in general at a young age,” says Krizia Jimenez about her artistic roots, recalling years spent drawing, painting, and crafting. Even as a child, she was sketching designs and making accessories for herself and her family. Formal training in high school led her to the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts, where she majored in Visual Communication.

There, she solidified her view of fashion as art. “I’ve always considered fashion as an artistic medium, and one of my favorite ones at that.” Her thesis consisted of a mini collection, exhibiting her belief that fashion is “like sculpture in how you manipulate forms and silhouettes,” shaped further by “genres, seasons, trends, and branding.” She later joined competitions and shows and pursued further studies at the SoFA Design Institute.

Jimenez now runs two brands with distinct identities. Antler Accessories began in college as a personal project. “It was just me making things to wear that I couldn’t find in the market,” she says. Today, it offers pieces that are “quirky, fun, one-of-a-kind.” Her eponymous label, Krizia Jimenez, is more introspective: “My name brand is really for expressing myself, thoughts and ideas that can’t always communicate in words.”

For Jimenez, “design and branding are inextricably linked.” Having studied branding, she devotes significant time and effort to the aesthetics of her website, lookbooks, and product imagery. “Promoting online allows you to get a really wide reach,” she notes, though “nothing beats seeing how people react to your work” at pop-ups, where customers can “touch and hold” pieces.

Overall, she produces ready-to-wear, made-to-order, and bespoke pieces, while limiting ready-to-wear stock to reduce waste. Operating largely as a “1-woman team,” she carefully plans and compartmentalizes projects. This year, she hopes to “make more pieces, join more shows/exhibits… But most of all, focusing on creating.”

Photographs by JV RABANO. Styling by NEIL DE GUZMAN. Talents: Krizia Jimenez, Steph Verano, Renée de Guzman, Jil Santos, and Paulina Dayrit. Models: Francheska of Luminary Models and Harold of Monarq Models. Makeup: Booya Mocorro. Hair: Gab Villegas. Producer: Bianca Zaragoza. Stylist: Neil de Guzman. Multimedia Artist: Mcaine Carlos. Editorial Assistant: Mavi Sulangi. Photography Assistants: Choi Narciso and PJ Sanchez. Shot on location at Archive Haus.