Vianca Soleil takes us to Unna, her secluded eco-resort in Puro Island, Philippines, where she can pass the time from sunrise to sunset in complete abandon of her former life&rsquo;s frantic pace.

Settled in Puro Island, Romblon for almost two years now &mdash; Vianca Soleil Roquero was a frequent traveler many moons ago. As an interior designer, she had to work on location, which spanned travels from Dubai to Kenya and many cities in between. During her trips, she found herself drawn to remote villages where dwellers lived close to nature. It planted the seed that soon blossomed into a life-changing decision: to leave the capital so she can dig her toes in the sand for the long haul. &nbsp;&nbsp;
 It&rsquo;s as if she conjured a way of life out of her name&rsquo;s roots. &ldquo;Soleil,&rdquo; which means sun in French, is an imposing presence in her reality that consists of white-sand beaches, mangrove forests, and rolling hills. She shares, "I'm very excited about all this sun, but at times also complaining about the heat. I'm enjoying my days on the island but terribly missing my family in Manila. It&rsquo;s a rollercoaster of emotions."
 Though she&rsquo;s isolated from the urban traffic, she&rsquo;s in tune with the community&rsquo;s natural wonders such as its bounty of coconut trees and heaping supply of uni and clams. She often shares snapshots of her experiences on her Instagram account, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/viancasoleil/">@viancasoleil</a>, which has earned a rapt audience for its breezy fashion and tranquil travelogue. Without access to the comfort of paved roads and establishments nearby, she often interrupts the steady stream of ambient noise enclosing her wooden hut by projecting movies onto her wall. But on other days, she&rsquo;s just &ldquo;lazing around and laughing at herself.&rdquo; It may not be intentional, but by exposing moments from her piece of paradise to the world, Vianca Soleil turns casual observers into yearning dreamers.

Tell us about what you do. I&rsquo;m an interior designer and the founder of Unna. I also do other creative work such as photography and art direction.&nbsp;
What inspires your style and aesthetic? Rawness, honesty, and nonchalance. I&rsquo;m also very inspired by children&rsquo;s artistic instincts.
Favorite brand and designers at the moment: I always dream of Issey Miyake, Sunnei, Peter Do, and Lemaire.
A motif you keep coming back to: Since moving to the island, oversized fit in neutrals, and my hair getting shorter and shorter. I also enjoy weaving palm hats.
Your fashion icons: I admire Phoebe Philo and Tilda Swinton&rsquo;s character in I Am Love.

Your style philosophy: Style has a lot to do with exciting yourself through your own quirks. I like to keep it understated, and then add some element of playfulness. Good style is also being mindful of how you consume and support conscious brands.
Items you can't live without: An oversized linen shirt and a hat.
Tips on island dressing: Aside from comfort and natural fabrics, go for pieces that lift your mood and have longevity. Every now and then, take extra time to dress up even if it&rsquo;s just for yourself.

Biggest lesson you learned from slow living:&nbsp; Slow living pushes one to be mindful, creative, and resourceful. I learned that whatever way of life you choose, what makes it worthwhile is being part of a community that supports and learns from each other. &nbsp;
What's the effect of island living during a pandemic?&nbsp; It&rsquo;s a strange feeling being stuck on an island as opposed to choosing to stay knowing you can leave any time. But this is my home now, and it&rsquo;s comforting to see how the locals try to look after each other. The ocean provides enough livelihood for the residents and Puro Island being currently Covid-free is something which we&rsquo;re all grateful for.&nbsp;
Tips on practicing a more ecologically conscious life:&nbsp; It can start with having this mindset of being content with what&rsquo;s already there and making the most out of it. Then follows the challenge of simplifying, reducing, constant learning and discovery. You don&rsquo;t have to be a sustainability nerd to be able to live more consciously. When you truly care for nature, your choices will naturally reflect that and adjust to your preferred way of living.

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Here are some places that inspire Vianca Soleil's personal style and creative vision:

Moscow, Russia 
This is the city on top of my list. From the beautiful Metro stations to the crazy Eliseevsky grocery store, to the Russian Academy of Sciences building, I&rsquo;m so charmed by this city despite it being so different from home.

Shirakawa-go, Gifu Prefecture, Japan 
Shirakawa-gō is a small village in the Japanese Alps and is known for its Gasshō-zukuri architecture. They&rsquo;re the loveliest wooden houses with thatched roofing. This place is so nostalgic and heavily inspired the concept for our beach home.

Bharkor Street, Lhasa, Tibet 
It&rsquo;s the most atmospheric setting with high altitude mist and Tibetans in their national dress and cowboy hats circling Bharkor Street. I have this huge fascination for Buddhist culture and had a chance to spend my birthday with school kids in a small town outside Lhasa. It&rsquo;s definitely my most unforgettable solo trip.

Villa Amista, Verona 
It's a Venetian villa from the 15th century reinterpreted into an art hotel. It&rsquo;s packed with both historic and contemporary pieces from the likes of Ettore Sottsass and Damien Hirst.

Jantar Mantar, Jaipur 
Jaipur is such a magical place and this particular structure, the Giant Sundial or Jantar Mantar makes one feel as if you&rsquo;re standing in a dream. I keep coming back to it for inspiration.

Vianca Soleil: On Slow Living and Picturesque Escapes

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