I HAVE BEEN MAKING JEWELRY AND TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS SINCE I WAS 5 YEARS OLD. I GREW UP IN A SMALL BEACH TOWN IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. MY MOTHER IS FROM THE PHILIPPINES AND MY FATHER IS IRISH-AMERICAN FROM GEORGIA. I ALSO HAD A LONG TERM BABYSITTER FROM EL SALVADOR WHO TAUGHT ME SPANISH. THIS HYPHENATED IDENTITY GREATLY SHAPED ME AS A CHILD.

I STARTED WORKING IN FASHION WHEN I WAS 17 YEARS OLD. I WORKED AT A SURF SHOP WHERE THE OWNER (A LITTLE OLD LADY FROM JAPAN) CUT AND SEWED BESPOKE SURF TRUNKS. I HELPED HER ORGANIZE PATTERNS AND LEARNED TO HAND-CUT FABRIC. FROM HERE I KEPT WORKING IN FASHION, EVENTUALLY MOVING TO LOS ANGELES, WHERE I LEARNED PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION.

IN LOS ANGELES, I STUDIED PHILOSOPHY AND VISUAL ANTHROPOLOGY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, EARNING TWO BACHELORS DEGREES IN 2009.

WHILE I WAS IN COLLEGE I STILL WORKED IN PRODUCTION, AND CONTINUE TO DO SO TODAY AS A CONSULTANT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES WHO PRODUCE APPAREL AND ACCESSORIES. (IF YOU’RE INTERESTED YOU CAN SEE MY PORTFOLIO HERE).

SINCE I ESTABLISHED BAGTAZO IN 2014, I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MELD ALL MY INTERESTS. BECAUSE MY PRODUCTS ARE MADE IN USA AND CREATED IN LIMITED QUANTITIES, I FEEL THAT I AM HELPING REVERSE MINDLESS CONSUMERISM WHILE ALSO SUPPORTING OUR DOMESTIC ECONOMY.

MY DESIGN PROCESS ALWAYS BEGINS IN REACTION TO MY SURROUNDINGS – AND THE DESIRE TO CHANGE WHAT I SEE, FOLLOWED BY LOOKING AT THE PAST TO LEARN FROM MY PREDECESSORS FROM FINE ART AND FASHION.

I CURRENTLY LIVE AND WORK IN NEW YORK WITH MY HUSBAND, DANIEL KINE. HE CALLS ME COCO (AND SO CAN YOU).

-COURTNEY