Oct 2, 2018

Friends For 10: Artist, Bernadette Pascua

To celebrate our 10 year anniversary, we’re celebrating the tastemakers, collaborators and like-minded business women who have championed & cherished the Lizzie Fortunato brand for over a decade. Friends for 10 is a series of short interviews that introduces you to these very women. They are our supporters and muses. Just like you, they are the people who’ve shaped our brand and made Lizzie Fortunato, well … Lizzie Fortunato. #LF10

Bernadette Pascua is that enviable combination of extraordinary talent, grace, inner & outer beauty and an unparalleled generosity of spirit. We met Bernadette during her days working at 3.1 Phillip Lim but our friendship grew as we collaborated together - Bernadette illustrations came alive on our leather clutches during our Spring 2013 season and have graced our look-book pages and campaign images. From being young, single 20-somethings in NYC to creating our own design identities and families, we have loved watching Bernadette mature into the artist she is today. She is a stylist, illustrator, creative consultant and counts Goop, Rolex, Vogue, J. Crew and Tiffany’s as clients - we feel lucky to be in the mix.

Q & A:

1. What is your first (or favorite!) memory of Lizzie / Kathryn / the brand?

BP: My first memory of Lizzie and Kathryn was back in 2009 when I was a shopgirl working at 3.1 Phillip Lim. One of the things I enjoyed most about that job was that there was a constant rotation of cool girls with style coming into the shop that I could pick up inspiration from. Lizzie and Kathryn were those girls, they always had the best in-the-know purses from Mayle and amazing jewelry on (of course). This is also my favorite memory because it is a testament to the power of possibility that New York holds. I had no idea that these two whom I admired from afar would in years to come become collaborators and dear friends. The city worked its magic and we eventually were connected through a mutual friend when I started doing illustration. By then I was a fan of the Lizzie Fortunato brand. Lizzie and Kathryn became early champions of my art and I am forever grateful for their belief in my work and for giving me the opportunity to collaborate with them. They have always been women who support other women and they continue to inspire me to this day.

2. Are you a Lizzie (creative) or a Kathryn (business)?

BP: Creative!

3. What is your favorite Lizzie Fortunato piece from the Fall’18 collection?

BP: The Arc and Ridge Cuffs in Mineral are my favorite! The color is so gorgeous, I would use it in a painting.

4. What is your favorite way to style statement jewelry?

BP: I love the combination of medium blue jeans, a crisp white t-shirt and a pair of beautiful earrings. My style has really pared down over the years, especially now that I’m chasing after a toddler. I go for clean looks that are quite uniform, so I rely on jewelry to offset the outfit and give it a sense of individuality, to make it feel like my own.

5. What is your favorite accessory (this could be a belt / a watch / a pet / whatever!); Why?

BP: My favorite accessory is a Celine box bag. It is the perfect size for going about during the day and with the strap removed it can be used as a clutch for special occasions. For sentimental reasons, I remember purchasing my first one as big 'treat yourself' after I had taken the plunge of going freelance and having a successful year. I wondered if I was making a good decision buying the bag and now nearly eight years later it has proven to be a classic.

6. What is the most random thing in your purse right now?

BP: A child-sized wooden hair brush for my wild little girl, Georgia.

7. I am a “_” [insert occupation here] and I am passionate about __:

BP: An Artist, Nature.

Worlds Collide: Lizzie Fortunato and Bernadette Pascua

8. What gets you out of bed in the AM?

BP: My heart still bursts each time my one-year-old daughter calls out ‘mama’, which she does every morning in her room at 6 am without fail. So literally, that wakes me up without hesitation but to also be poetic about it, she really is the reason why I want to get out of bed in the morning.

9. In my next life I want to be a ________:

BP: Scientist.

10. What are you doing tomorrow?

BP: Tomorrow is Sunday, we’ll be doing an early morning walk from South Williamsburg to our favorite brunch spot Chez Ma Tante in Greenpoint. After, my husband and I usually take my daughter to a nearby playground. When we make our way back home Georgia naps and I get to stop at stores, maybe pick up a magazine at McNally. By late afternoon we hit up Bedford Cheese Shop to get a snack for Georgia and DOC Wine to get fizzy wine in a can for us. We bring our haul to Domino Park, which just opened up at the end of our block, and wind down the day chilling out in the grass by the water.

11. Beach or Mountains?

BP: Beach.

12. Favorite place you've ever traveled:

BP: It is a three-way tie between Southern Italy, Sardinia, and Tokyo.

13. One item you can't live without when you travel______:

BP: A proper camera.

XX,

LF