Cover Charge August 2012

A Piece of Patricia

By Apryl Galang

Nowadays, it’s so easy to determine a person’s background.  Just a few searches online, click and presto, you can know your target right away.  Of course, there are some who would want to remain unknown but others use the World Wide Web in expressing their passion and creativity.  Take the case of 21-year-old style fanatic, model, stylist and now August cover girl, Patricia Prieto who uses her blog site Paradigma (http://itspatriciaprieto.com/) to make her presence known and to do what she loves the most–fashion.

 ““I started blogging around three years ago with a Lookbook account. I found out that it was for members only so I signed up and they accepted me. That was when I thought about having my own blog. Why not give it a shot there’s nothing to lose, so I did it,” she shares on her beginnings as a blogger.,” she shares on her beginnings as a blogger.

At first, her blog is more about her photo journal slash diary where it featured her out-of-the-country travel photos, music articles, and art on the street. Then gradually it became a fashion diary where she shared her style moments and her state of mind with the netizens on a daily basis. You can’t even imagine how Patricia goes to great lengths in order to give people something different and fresh whenever they log on to her account.

 She continues, “It sort of expanded over the years, Right now I write about gadgets which is totally different from my other blog entries and its fun because I can still incorporate it with fashion.”

Patricia wants to be versatile in her every outfit ranging from girly to chic until whipping up a tomboyish ensemble. Though, she admits that she tends to have mood swings sometimes when it comes to dressing up and she’s not always in heels, “There are those days that you’d see me in a mall just wearing a tank top, shorts and sneakers. And that’s the time when I feel most comfortable. I love wearing combat boots because they have character.  I still love the basics. My readers would say that they could relate to what I write because it’s not hard to get inspirations.”

Likewise, Patricia is slowly gaining an avid following with her fashion blog.  Mind you, her status is even leveling up to becoming an online sensation. At the recent Nicki Minaj concert just last month, Patricia got a big surprise (but at the same time flattered) when somebody asked if they could take photos with her.  She reveals, “I have friends from publications and they tease me, bloggers are technically celebrities now. I really don’t get it why probably because I am not used to it. Maybe I’m slowly getting there.”

Even though, she has reached this kind of familiarity among her readers. There are still some people that you can’t please at all. Yes, she has haters who tweets her and even email their unfriendly thoughts.

So what does she do whenever she hears a bad comment, “It goes on one ear and out to the other.  I tell myself that I must be doing something right for people to find something bad to say about me.  My friends tell me, maybe you’ve reached that level wherein people notice you already and it’s not a bad thing. Thank God for my family and friends, so I listen to them and not to mind the haters.”

 Aside from her blog, Patricia is also busy with her studies. She’s in her 3^rd year taking up Fashion Designing and Marketing at SOFA (School of Fashion and Arts). After which, she’s planning to take further studies in London.    Though she hasn’t made concrete plans for now, she’s still open for more possibilities.  Her mantra as of the moment, ‘Go where the wind takes me’, Patricia is still adamant to continue her passion in blogging and traveling.

“Right now, I’m so busy with my blog. People won’t believe me when I say that blogging takes up most of my time.  From writing about those things to sorting out photos, attending events and still make time for my friends and family. It takes a lot of time and effort but I know that I’m passionate about blogging so even when I get tired sometimes, I don’t let the stress affect me. It’s a good kind of stress.  I just think that I’m doing something good and doing something well that I’m getting all these opportunities,” as she ends with a big smile.

Credits: clothes by Marc Rancy, Eric Delos Santos, Stylestaple, Promod and French Dolls / shoes by Wade and Schu Chocolate Bar / accessories by Kikay Accessories

Photography Niccolo Cosme / Art Direction Renan Ramirez / Styling Franco Saycon / Make Up Gery Penaso of MAC Cosmetics / Hair Mark Baquiran of L’oreal Professionel using Lynelle Hair Extensions