grace & grandeur

This is the blooming of Maricor Flores, a woman who keeps a clear definition of beauty as she builds an institute that opens its doors to dreamers in the industry

- KRISTOFF SISON

I was sitting on a brown couch lined with an Hermes throw blanket and pillows while reviewing my boards for the photoshoot. To my left, a La Chaise by Charles and Ray Eames rested untouched, waiting for the woman of the hour. A grand piano f lanked by tall potted plants and a red velvet throne stood by my right. In front of me, concentric platforms acted as a center table, topped with a stack of designer fashion books and some family photos. The space was well-kept, tastefully arranged, and carried an air of success. A house says a lot about the person living in it, and while that can easily be said about Maricor Flores, there’s more to her story that precedes the grandiose aesthetics.

THE SEEDS OF SUCCESS

Maricor Flores, or warmly known as “Cor”, is a woman who has always had a clear direction in life, even through situations that, for most, would seemingly derail you from your path. “I often tell people that when they get pregnant at 17, people will often tell them that their life is gone and their dreams have vanished. That was not true for me. It gave me a new lease on life because I realized that I wanted to make something out of myself,” she mentioned.

Even before the age of adulthood, Cor had the odds stacked against her. But as she expressed, “I had no time to spare and I chose to be a fighter rather than wallow in sorrow.” After dabbling into the worlds of women’s apparel, property development, and hospitality management, Cor honed in on the beauty industry and quickly set up her own company. In 2010, South Care Cosmetics Manufacturing Inc. was born out of a backyard, housing 12 hard-working teammates and amateur workspaces.