Miss Mandaue 2017 says farewell, wearing the latest luxury built upon the crown jewels of Cebu’s King of Fashion
Saturday afternoons at Pierre Angeli—the fashion house of Philip Rodriguez—have resumed back to its normal environment after all the dresses have been shipped back from Manila on Friday night.
“It was a tough week for us, so now I can relax a little bit,” he smiles after closing the three-day Panasonic Manila Fashion Festival at the Marquee Tent of Edsa Shangri-La in Ortigas with 15 fresh haute couture pieces last month.
“I’ve settled with meticulous techniques in simpler silhouettes.
Over the years, I have already studied my aesthetics, and I try to incorporate them with whatever inspiration.”
In a language that he knows by heart for over 30 years—lace, tulle, silk, luxury—every piece has stepped forward inspired by the Plaza Athénée in Paris he visited years back.
A magnified color from the small floral embroidery on the skirt in a sea of sweet colors, the red column dress stands out as the most applauded.
His strength is in the precision of developing his collection: evening, cocktail, resort, and menswear.
Glory is given to the hands that sewed the cage necklines and bustier, puff sleeves and bishop sleeves.
Along with ostrich feathers, bows are his accessories of the moment, assigned on strategic locations: Mostly on the waist, but why not around the neck?
But with a more humble style fashioned on his namesake, Philip Rodriguez is Cebu’s king of fashion.
Farewell to the crown
Rodriguez will also showcase another collection during the Miss Mandaue 2018 coronation on the evening of May 6, Sunday, at the Mandaue City Sports Complex. On the same night, crowned Miss Mandaue 2017 Ralphiela Lewis will pass on the legacy to a rightful heir.
“When I was younger, I was bullied for my skin color,” Lewis reveals.
“But after I won Miss Mandaue last year, a lot of girls actually approached me or messaged me how inspired they were. I brought in a new kind of beauty, no longer the usual mestiza.”
“After the crown, I would like to focus on my studies because I will be taking up a medical course,” she says.
“I will be back for bigger pageants soon. It’s best that I mature with life lessons before embarking on something big.
In this way, I could develop a genuine heart for the girls who look up to beauty queens.” (CHP)
