By PERCY A OSTONAL and A P HERNANDEZ
THE biggest jewelry maker in New York City hired a native of Mambulao to head its creative and design department.
Reagan O Rada, 31, is Peranesi’s technical designer and the one who makes the final decision on every product the company designs and makes.
Rada is now preparing Peranesi’s 2012 collection.
Right now, he is busy traveling across the US to sell their creations to various outlets.
Notably, Peranesi named him as its brand ambassador to all SAKS outlets.
In an interview with MWBuzz a few days ago in New York City, Rada said that he makes what he calls high-end jewelry, popularly known as couture jewelry.
He said he supervises the jeweler in every aspect of production – from the kind of stone to use, to the metal that it should go with.
“Diamond, rubies, sapphires and emeralds are my favorite stones … I work well with these.”
He said that pearls are “my secondary passion”.
Piranesi has an array of high-end clients that included royalties, heads of states and a lot of private users that included Hollywood celebrities, politicians and simply the rich.
Top jewelry retailer SAKS is one of its biggest outlets, with a number of stores on Fifth Avenue.
Peranesi is based on 30 Rockefeller Piz, at No 64 New York, with offices on 952 Fifth Avenue.
Rada got an apprenticeship on jewelry designing from RJM Jewelry while working there as its janitor during his early days in the US.
Later, in 2007 when Rada was already involved in the production as its director of fulfillment and design, RJM was acquired by Hollywood great, Dame Elizabeth Taylor, and renamed it as The House of Taylor.
Dame Elizabeth, who was one of RJM’s biggest clients, retained Rada as its technical designer.
From then on, Rada came up with fresh designs, many of which were worn by the actress herself.
However, the 2008 recession in the US took a great toll on the House of Taylor that it was forced to close shop under the weight of more than US$11 million in debt.
The company’s bankruptcy left Rada jobless for a while.
While he was in Bangkok for a break and at the same time to decide on his future, Peranesi offered him a job, which was basically similar to the one he had at the House of Taylor.
Before he migrated to the US in late 2000, Rada was teaching Information Technology (IT) at the Makati High School.
For his first job in the US, he worked as a care-giver.
He graduated from the Jose Panganiban National High School in 1997.
Way to go Reagan...we are proud of you! Keep it up.
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