The Inspiration

Mabuhay!

The story behind Aking Sinta begins with my own journey of rediscovery. My name is Zoey, and like many Filipinos in the diaspora, I found myself searching for home in unexpected ways.

I grew up in the Philippines and moved to England when I was 16 years old. I found it incredibly difficult acclimating to a new country and culture so far from home. Throughout my journey of self-discovery, I realised how much I missed the vibrant culture, traditions, and values of my homeland - but more than that, I was losing touch with who I was.

When I struggled to find Filipino-inspired jewellery locally, I founded Aking Sinta to create that connection and empower our community. Reclaiming my mother tongue as part of reconnecting to my roots, I knew I wanted a Tagalog word or phrase as a business name. "Aking Sinta," meaning "my love," is what my husband calls me, but it also represents my profound love for Filipino heritage and culture, the same love I pour into every piece and what I hope to share with you through my jewellery.

Each of my collections tells a different chapter of our heritage story - connecting us to our ancestors and previous generations of Filipinos: Luntian celebrates memories of lush landscapes, Capiz reimagines traditional wind chimes as contemporary jewellery, Araw honours our revolutionary spirit, Perlas embraces beautiful imperfections, and Bughaw pays tribute to the waters where generations learned to swim and fish.

BET on yourself.

Be unapologetically you, Embrace your worth, and Take up space.

Through Aking Sinta, I hope to empower our community to confidently #TakeUpSpace and share our vibrant kasaysayan (history), kultura (culture), and kwentuhan (stories). I hope my jewellery inspires fellow Filipinos to celebrate our heritage with pride and share the beauty of our culture with the world.

Maraming salamat for joining me on this journey of heritage, empowerment, and beautiful storytelling through jewellery.

Nagmamahal (With Love), 

Zoey