MANILA, Philippines?When AJ Dimarucot and Audrey David-Dimarucot got married, they knew they had to change their priorities.

?We both wanted to be financially independent at the fastest way possible and be hands-on parents to our son Gabe,? Audrey said.

But that wouldn?t come easy because both led very demanding jobs?as an art director for a leading ad agency and a project manager for a major telecommunications company.

They knew what they had to do?take the plunge into entrepreneurship.
AJ left his job in February 2008, with Audrey following in October of the same year.

While trying to have another baby, they were hit with inspiration.

?We decided to put up a children?s clothing business. We wanted our children to wear AJ?s designs. It wasn?t hard to bring it from the drawing board to realization.?

Love and madness

The result is Googoo&Gaga, which they describe as ?quirky clothes for kooky babies.? The brand (which, according to Audrey, means ?love and madness?) produces pieces that Audrey describes as ?wearable art pieces.?

The clothes are designed by AJ, a graphic artist who has been part of exhibits in Manila and Canada and has had works published in books in the United Kingdom, Spain, Australia and New Zealand.

Now focusing on T-shirt and apparel graphics, AJ has already won T-shirt design contents on Designbyhumans.com and Threadless.com.

He has also designed for Urban Outfitters, Hot Topic and bands like Paramore and Panic at the Disco.

AJ?s designs were immediately snapped up by family and friends.

?They were the first ones to hear about the business and they were very fast to give their support.?

But their market has grown since then.

?Anyone who appreciates art and honest to goodness one-of-a-kind creations is our market. I have a good friend who said he finds our designs too aggressive, and that is all right. It just means he is not our market. There are those who will still choose to blend.

On the other hand, one parent shared that she would rather purchase a P700 shirt like ours for her son than another that probably costs just P300 but one that every other kid in the mall wears. That is our market?they see the premium in purchasing art that their kids can wear.?

Audrey and AJ took their business online, and have good reasons for doing so.
?People are busier at our age. They are either in the office, in meetings, or working from home. But wherever they are, they have access to the Internet. Online shopping has become very convenient to the market.

They can shop at their venue and time convenience and receive their purchases without needing to go to stores or malls. It has become a whole new culture that fits the lifestyle of our busy generation.

On an expense standpoint, it requires significantly less investment but wider reach. We can be accessed by anyone from any part of the world. It isn?t the world wide web for nothing!?

Their efforts have been rewarded.
?You?d be surprised at how both young parents and grandparents, Filipinos and foreigners, teeners and kids support Googoo&Gaga!?

Unique

Googoo&Gaga?s new collections are available for P695 per piece.

?We discount at P650 a piece if you get at least three pieces. This might change soon, though,? Audrey says.

It?s a good price to pay for something that Audrey and AJ believe is unique.