Georgina Wilson wearing her Sunnies
In spite of the cool surroundings of the mall, the atmosphere was tinged with electricity. It was hot. And people were restless. It turns out that summer arrived early in Cebu with its harbinger being one of the country’s loveliest faces—model/ VJ/show host/entrepreneur/designer Georgina Wilson.
When Sunnies by Charlie launched their chic line of sunglasses in the Queen City of the South at the SM City Cebu Northwing Atrium some weeks ago, the buzz was palpable as guests anticipated the arrival of the brand’s designer, creator and ambassador.
And when she appeared wearing a light pastel dress and cat eye Sunnies… Oh, boy! Was she a sight to behold. Her presence signaled a burst of flash bulbs and curious onlookers.
Georgina Ashley Diaz Wilson, a Fil-British stunner, is of impeccable lineage, belonging to the star-studded Diaz clan. With Miss Universe Gloria Diaz and actress Rio Diaz as family, it’s almost a certainty that Georgina would soon be in the limelight as well. But the young lady dared to break the mold and blazed a trail of her own with commercial spots, hosting stints, business moves —and of course, Sunnies by Charlie, the brand that best captures Georgina’s winsome, fun-loving and peppy personality.
But, as Georgina would admit, beneath all the glam that people usually see lies a free spirit who’s ready to take on the next available adventure and conquer the world with her beauty, passion and individuality. Just give her a pair of sunglasses, an iPad full of new wave tunes, and she’s good to go!
That said, read on as Georgina Wilson opens up the summer season with this intimate conversation about Sunnies, Cebu and, well, everything under the sun!
WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM SUNNIES THIS SUMMER?
Well, a lot more fun events in Cebu especially since this place is one of the summer capitals of the country. Also, I think the Cebuano lifestyle is very suited for summer and for Sunnies.
So we’re going to have summer events. And we’ll be having more styles for the fashionistas out there. For the men, too; we’ll have a lot more styles to accommodate them.
WHAT ARE YOUR TOP FIVE SUMMER ESSENTIALS?
It’s very important to have an amazing pair of Sunnies. Also, a really good bathing suit na kahit anong kainin mo for lunch, okay pa rin (laughs). And sunblock since I don’t want anyone to burn. I think a really good book would be useful when you’re chilling, to feed your mind. And since I’m a very big music person, I must have a really good set of speakers.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PAIR OF SUNNIES?
That’s really difficult. Everytime we get new stock, my loyalty switches agad. It’s very hard ‘eh, because if you collect sunglasses like me, you end up with so many pairs that it’s tough to have a favorite.
YOUR TOP FIVE PLACES TO WEAR YOUR SUNGLASSES…
The beach. I like it also when I’m travelling. I went to Oslob recently where we did whale-watching. Boracay is obviously one place. I go to Ilocos a lot, so that’s another place. There are places where I haven’t been to like Siargao and Batanes, so I would wear my Sunnies there, too.
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE THINGS IN CEBU?
Lechon! But, to be honest, it’s really the people. I’m not Cebuano, but I’m well-received here so the Cebuanos hold a special place in my heart. I say this so often because I’m always here. I endorse Diagold so I’m very close with that family and I come here when I can. I think Cebu is such a beautiful city. I buy furniture here, and I just love the food. I always tell people that Cebu has the most sophisticated and super-sarap restaurants, be it fine-dining or relaxed. In short, I love the vibe here!
WHAT ARE YOUR SUMMER PLANS?
They mostly revolve around Sunnies since we’re opening a lot of branches over the next few months and we’re trying to catch up. We get a lot of feedback from people who say na “sayang wala kayo dito.” And Cebu was one of those places. So if somebody wanted Sunnies, I want to be there, as close and available as possible.
WHAT ARE THE TRENDS THAT YOU’RE LOVING RIGHT NOW?
I’ve always loved the cat eye look.
DOES THE SUNNIES BRAND IDENTIFY WITH GEORGINA’S PERSONALITY?
I personally created a dream brand. I am in charge of all the marketing. It is my company—my dream company—and it identifies with me in a lot of ways. A lot of people see or think that
I’m very glamorous and sophisticated. In truth, I can be that, but I can also be very relaxed, cowgirl-like and carefree. And that’s the brand that Sunnies is—very carefree. It’s just really about enjoying life, and Sunnies happens to be there for you.
WHAT LED TO THE CREATION OF THIS BRAND?
I’ve always been obsessed with sunglasses. I have so many pairs at home na nakakaloka na talaga. An estimate? I have 50 or more pa talaga. So my friends, Bea (Soriano) and Eric (Dee)… they had a store and I would wear their sunglasses a lot because I thought they were cute… they offered that maybe we should expand this because people loved it when I wore the sunglasses, not to mention that I love the product.
It started in Manila, but Cebu is just as important as Manila. This launch is just as big as the one we did in Manila. We already have seven stores and we’re planning on opening six more later in the year.
TELL US MORE ABOUT SUNNIES?
People think that Sunnies is a little expensive, but it’s really not. We start from P249 and we go up to P799. I think it’s really exciting because people come back every two weeks and ask where the new designs are. Nakaka-addict talaga. When I created this brand, I wanted to make sure that it wasn’t isolating. Everyone can enjoy it since there’s something for everyone.
HOW DO YOU KEEP WITH THE DEMANDS OF THE BUSINESS GIVEN YOUR BUSY SCHEDULE?
Well, katulad now, I haven’t slept (laughs). I had work yesterday and finished at 2 a.m. and then I flew here at 7 a.m.
HOW DOES SOCIAL MEDIA HELP IN ALL THIS?
I’m so active on social media so when I get seen wearing a new pair, it really does help promote the brand. Sunnies also has one of the most followed Instagram accounts in the Philippines, and you just see the type of consumer that we’re targeting: young and very active on social media, mahilig mag-selfie, mahilig mag-hashtag. It just makes our job all the more fun because you see people receive it so well. Excited na excited sila. To answer the question, I think social media is definitely part of the brand in a very big way.
HOW INVOLVED ARE YOU IN THE CREATION AND DESIGN OF EACH PAIR?
Everything! I think people don’t know that. We’re very involved in everything. It’s really a collaboration between me and my friends, and people see that. They see the love and the soul of the brand. It’s something that we really truly believe in, something that was made from our blood, sweat and tears.
The SUNNIES by Charlie team—finance director Eric Dee Jr., operations director Bea Soriano, creative director Martine Cajucom and marketing director Georgina Wilson—in Cebu for the launch.
HOW IS IT WORKING WITH YOUR COUSIN AND YOUR FRIENDS?
It’s a very different feeling. To take a personal relationship and make it into a professional one, you have to have so much respect for each other. There are some things that can go wrong and you just have to respect one another. I have just been so lucky to have found partnerships where we all excel in our respective fields. I respect their talents so much.
HOW PASSIONATE ARE YOU WITH BUSINESS?
I’m very hands-on. I think any entrepreneur would understand the stress, but it’s so rewarding to see the final product and people lining up for it, loving it. It just makes it more fulfilling. Business can be very stressful but very rewarding as well. I still represent some of the biggest brands and I’m still learning a lot from them. I learn from Unilever, from Globe—they’re really marketing geniuses there and I’m trying my best to soak it all up.
ASIDE FROM SUNNIES, WHAT ARE YOUR OTHER PLANS CAREER-WISE?
I might start doing more TV stuff. I don’t know yet about movies because it really depends on the right kind. But who knows, maybe! (laughs)
Photos by Edd Buenaviaje and Gerard Pareja
