The Sweetest of Them All: the true-to-life fairy tale of The Sweet Life by Ange
Sweet Beginnings: about The Sweet Life by Ange
About Ange
Do you want Ange to be a guest speaker at your school/organization?
Summer Remix: Cupcake/Cookie Decorating Workshops
2008 Photoshoot
2009 Photoshoot
The Sweetest of Them All!: the true-to-life fairy tale of The Sweet Life by Ange
Once upon a time, a fashion-obsessed little princess named Ange was playing with her French poodles Mandy and Tiffany Belle when she decided that she wanted to start baking. So bake, bake, and bake is what she did, and every dessert she made, she infused with a stylish element of her liking. When she was 16, she traded princes over pastries and decided to create every Manila noble’s sweetest dream. With the help of the king and queen, she did just that. Because of her magic touch, traditional desserts became marvelous and ordinary cupcakes, fabulous. Thus the kingdom became a happier, sweeter one! That’s why Ange decided to name her empire “The Sweet Life by Ange”. And until the entire universe has a taste of living “The Sweet Life”, she’s not calling it a happily ever after just yet!
back to topSweet Beginnings: about The Sweet Life by Ange
When fashion-obsessed, baking enthusiast Ange set her sights on making the world a sweeter place, she wasn’t kidding. With her mom as a former dessert business owner and kitchen goddess, Ange learned the ropes at an early age. Self-taught and with no formal baking education, she was concocting complex baking recipes and impressive cakes at the age of 14. In November 2006, Ange (then 16) put together a dessert that a good friend insist she make. Word spread to dessert lovers in Manila and orders came pouring in like wildfire. It was the “Sweet Surrender” brazo de Mercedes- ice cream concoction that put Ange in many little black books. And so, The Sweet Life by Ange was born.
The Sweet Life by Ange is an haute dessert business that takes pride in high-quality products that take inspiration from fashion, pop culture, and Hollywood. “Couture Cupcakes by Ange” is the primary example of that. With playful cupcakes like Marie Antoinette, Satine, Chanel, and Sugar Daddy, each one is an artwork on its own. Mini versions of all the cupcakes are also available.
“Couture Cookies by Ange”, on the other hand, are literal edible works of art. Sugar cookies decorated with “it-bags”, designer shoes, and even pop culture elements like Michael Jackson’s infamous sequined glove, are just a few of the many designs that can be custom-made by The Sweet Life.
With Ange only being 19, there are obvious elements of youth’s characteristic whimsy and fun strewn into The Sweet Life’s products. For its resort/summer 09 collection, Ange introduced a soft, buttery coconut macaroon called Cabo, with a warning sign on the label “Cabo tan not included” (referring to the popular tropical celebrity destination).
Marie Antoinette is Ange’s biggest inspirational figure when it comes to managing The Sweet Life by Ange. The young queen’s frivolous lifestyle of luxurious fashion, extravagant parties, and an overabundance of sugar is something Ange likes to portray in The Sweet Life’s ads, designs, and captions. Thus “Let them eat cupcakes” was coined as a very apt variation to the queen’s infamous saying. The Sweet Life by Ange caters to the modern-day Marie Antoinette’s and King Louis XVI’s who have the same penchant for glamour, high style, and of course, The Sweet Life.
Being among the 4 original stalls in Rockwell's Bakers Dozen Fair, The Sweet Life by Ange has gained a reputation for unique, stylish products that are made with only the best. The Sweet Life by Ange is now co-run by Ange and her mom, Susan de la Cruz. What started out as a simple hobby, The Sweet Life was an accidental business that grew mostly by word-of-mouth. Truly, when your products are that good, they simply market themselves. Isn't life truly sweet?
The Sweet Life by Ange was founded in 2006 by young Filipina entrepreneur Ange when she was just 16 years old. She now co-runs the business with her mom, Susan. Ange is currently in college pursuing her love for fashion, baking, and the arts. She runs a food/fashion/art blog called Lady Cupcake (http://ladycupcake.typepad.com).
Whether it would be baking, arts, or fashion, Ange has always strove for excellence. Her outstanding achievements in these fields are a testament to her creativity, passion, and determination to succeed. Even at a young age, her leadership skills and inspiring work ethic have been recognized and applauded.
Before stumbling into baking as a business, Ange started out dabbling in the arts. More specifically, she self-studied writing, graphic and web design all on her own. At the age of 11, she founded an online magazine for young girls called Diva Connection. In its 4-year run, it was able to to reach out to girls from the US, Asia, Norway, London, and more. At 12, she was chosen to be part of a local teen magazine's writing council called the "Candy Council of Cool" (www.candymag.com). When Ange was 14, she won the grand prize for a poster design contest for US-based conference called "Turn Beauty Inside Out" (www.tbio.org). Run by an organization called "Mind on the Media", TBIO conferences aim to bring more positive female influence in the media, and to change prejudices women face. Ange won a trip to Washington DC in order to take part in their conference that centered around Women in Politics. The following year, 2005, her poster design made her a finalist in TBIO's Women in Hollywood conference in Los Angeles, which she attended as well. Ange still advocates for feminism-related causes by joining bazaars that support breast cancer research and creating special products that help fund similar causes.
By the age of 13 (7th grade in her school), she was already representing her school in intermediate web & graphic design competitions. She would always be the youngest participant and the only one under high school level. It was also around this time that Ange was working as a freelance graphic designer. She was also employed part-time by a local banking software company Nationlink Network (www.nationlink-online.com) to be their official graphics artist. She also lent her design skills to microfinance efforts in the Philippines. Ange's web/graphic design skills proved to be an asset when she started her business. Most of the design, packaging and promotional materials used by The Sweet Life by Ange, were done by Ange herself.
When Ange founded The Sweet Life by Ange in 2006, it was only known for its bestseller, the Sweet Surrender. In 2007, Ange's interest for fashion grew and she was able to translate that into her line of Couture Cupcakes. Because of her love for fashion, 17 year old Ange was featured in Teen Vogue's Snapshot Girl of the Week and was also chosen to attend the Teen Vogue Fashion University in 2007 held in New York. It was there that she was inspired by talks and forums conducted by fashion bigwigs like Vera Wang, Cynthia Rowley, Erin Fetherston, and Tim Gunn, just to name a few. By immersing herself in fashion, Ange was able to concoct not only a plethora of unique desserts, but also a delicious lifestyle she associates with The Sweet Life by Ange.
Ange's interest in the arts gave birth to more ventures. When she was in high school, she was given many leadership positions in theatre organizations, school-sanctioned Shakespeare events, and more. In her senior year of high school, she was chosen to be the head/editor-in-chief of her high school yearbook. As a budding stylist, she conceptualizes the looks and layouts for The Sweet Life by Ange's photo shoots. Her styling works have been featured in various local publications. Aside from that, her interest in music led her to try her hand at being a DJ or disk jockey. It is a hobby she continues to hone and enjoy.
Ange has been recognized by prestigious organizations and universities in the Philippines for her entrepreneurial efforts at a very early age. In 2008, Centro Escolar University hosted a talk entitled "Through The Sweet Life by Ange: An Inspiration to Boost the Creativity and Entrepreneurial Skill of the Young Minds of the Gen X". In 2009, De la Salle University asked Ange to be a guest speaker for their annual Lasallian Enrichment Alternative Program (LEAP). Just recently, Ange was recognized by prestigious organization "Go Negosyo" as "Most Inspiring Youth Entrepreneur" in their Youth Entrepreneurship Summit (http://www.gonegosyo.net/youth).
To see Ange's Styling / Creative Direction Portfolio, check out http://ladycupcake.typepad.com/creative/
If you would like to obtain a copy of Ange's complete resume, or if you have any questions, email Ange at ange@thesweetlifebyange.com
Do you want Ange to be a guest speaker for your school/organization?
If you would like to get Ange as a resource speaker for your school/university/organization/event, email ange@thesweetlifebyange.com
Click here to view pictures of Ange as a motivational/guest speaker
Summer Remix: Cupcake/Cookie Decorating Workshops
Last summer of 2009, The Sweet life by Ange conducted a series of workshops in order to teach kids and kids at heart simple cupcake/cookie decorating.
Summer Remix has been featured in local TV shows and publications.
Click here to view pictures from our workshops
Click the image to view behind the scenes pics
Photography: Sonny Thakur (http://ahappycamper.wordpress.com)
Model: Caroline Ruegg (contact details upon request)
Styling: Ange de la Cruz
Makeup: Benjie Angeles & Allen Rosales
Hair: Felicity
Shot on location at the Makati Shangri La Hotel Manila Philippines
Click the image to view behind the scenes pics
Photographer: Nick St. James (http://flickr.com/photos/buckswope)
Model: Kirja Parcell
Styling: Ange de la Cruz (http://ladycupcake.typepad.com/creative)
Makeup: Julie Ebio (http://julieebio.multiply.com)
Model: Kirja Parcell (http://kirjap.multiply.com)
Special thanks to fashion designer Puey Quinones
