Yusef Alrashid for Estrella Do Norte Inc
04 Jun 2024
Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, Philippines
Usually, stories end with a “dot” but for Visionaire Inc, it all started with it, a dot, a RED DOT.
In the year 2000, when Ilocos Norte was saturated with low quality merchandise with only a handful of branded items, Red Dot made a mark of selling items with class and taste. Soon after, people started recognizing the boutique’s distinctive style, and as the numbers of shoppers grow, a clamor to bring in new items grew as well. But instead of offering regular RTW’s again, Red Dot owner Mary Ann Macaraeg decided to take a different direction and brought the famous brands Bayo & Kamiseta to Ilocos. This was the first time a local boutique started distributing famous brands, a move that would soon define Visionaire Inc.
Things became more interesting as the boutique performed even better despite the brand being a bit pricey. Turns out, Ilocanos were excited that their favorite brand which they usually see in the Metro was made available in the province and of the same price margin.
Came the year of 2007, the whole country was taken by storm by a brand from Brazil that sold flip flops – Havaianas. Havaianas introduced the concept that it is okay to wear flip flops in malls, parties, everywhere outside your house, and this was a big hit for a tropical country like the Philippines. This paved the way to the birth of Visionaire Inc.