LOS ANGELES—Ask Dubai-based Filipino fashion designer Michael Cinco how he would describe his fashion couture style and he would immediately tell you, “Impalpable!”
Ethereal. Unreal. Dream-like. Otherworldly. Too perfect for this world, for sure.
“Michael Cinco is in a league of his own,” commented Los Angeles-based fashion designer Carlyn Nuyda-Calloway of Thumbelina Couture. “Remember his name.”
We did.
Our first exposure to Michael’s “impalpable couture designs” was when “Modern Family’s” Sofia Vergara walked the red carpet at this year’s Golden Globe Awards, in a black form-fitting sequined mermaid gown with a plunging sweetheart neckline.
The sexy actress, who was nominated for Best Supporting TV actress in a Series, Mini Series or TV movie, stole the thunder from everybody and easily landed on the best dressed lists of TV shows, magazines and newspapers.
Pop superstar Britney Spears attended the Vanity Fair Oscar party in a sexy, plunging V neckline black Michael Cinco gown.
Other celebrities who have worn Michael’s stunning creations include Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Lopez, Brandy, Lady Gaga, Tyra Banks, Naomi Campbell, Ashanti, Chris Brown, Fergie, Paris Hilton, Dita Von Teese and Mischa Barton.
Michael also dressed up Filipino celebrities like Anne Curtis, Angel Locsin, Bea Alonzo and Ruffa Gutierrez.
The 42-year-old designer, who hails from Catbalogan, Samar, recently presented his breathtaking collection at the LA Fashion Week where his intricately-designed and beaded gowns received no less than a standing ovation from the Los Angeles fashion crowd.
When we talked to Michael after that show in LA, the soft-spoken designer, who always wore his signature sunglasses, revealed that his very feminine designs for the said show were inspired by the Middle East culture.
“This is my first time to showcase my collection in Los Angeles,” Michael said. “I’m very excited about this event because I’m showing a collection that will pay tribute to the place that gave me a lot of opportunity—the Middle East. It is entitled ‘The Impalpable Dream of Arabia.’ The collection is mostly in black.” He had only one creation in red and another in red and black.
Asked how he landed in Dubai and made it his home base, Michael replied, “Dubai is the haven of haute couture. My first foray into Middle East fashion was in 1997 when I became an in-house designer in one of the biggest fashion houses in Dubai. I quit my job in 2002 and went to London and Paris to study and research. Then I went back to Dubai in 2003 to open my own atelier with a local partner.”
Michael admitted that it was hard to compete with other European and Arabic designers in the beginning. “But you have to make the clients trust your talent,” he said. “Eventually, the women in Dubai did not care where you come from. If you make beautiful clothes, clients will come flocking to your atelier whether you are a Filipino, European, Lebanese or American designer.”
So how has living in Dubai been and what does he love about living in Dubai, we asked in a recent interview. “Dubai is a city where the visionaries aim for the greatest, the tallest, the highest, and the biggest,” he answered. “It’s a new city so it’s very modern and competitive. I love living here because of the great opportunity the city has given me. I love the life of being an overseas worker but you have the chance of living a comfortable and fabulous lifestyle.”
Michael, who has had shows in Miami, New York, London, Dubai and Manila, said that he always participates in the Philippine Fashion Week.
He remarked, “I usually visit the Philippines twice or thrice a year. I always support the Philippine Fashion Week where I showcase my latest collection. I always feel proud when my fellow Filipinos appreciate my work. I love going back to my home in Samar to spend time with my family.”
On his Facebook page, Michael even posted a photo of himself with some friends in the Philippines and captioned it: “This is what I miss most in the Philippines…couture inuman sa kanto…with childhood friends…I don’t need this throwback dramas…I just have to visit my place, meet real friends and enjoy memories from our past…I love my hometown, Catbalogan, Samar.”
Michael added about his annual shows in the Philippines: “I started my first show in Philippine Fashion Week in 2009. The executive producers, brothers Joey and Audie Espino, together with fashion director Ariel Lozada, were the first people who believed in me and had faith and confidence in my talent.”
“They gave me my first solo show the next season and that was the time the Filipino people took notice of me. I owe a lot to them and that’s one of the reasons why I always support and I am excited to show my new collection at the Philippine Fashion Week. This year, my collection is all about the opulent culture of Russia. I was so inspired by the Russian art, ‘Swan Lake’ ballet, the tragic Imperial Family, the Czar and Czarina.”
For the Philippine Fashion Week show, Michael showcased a 35-piece collection. “Some of the pieces were shown in Los Angeles and Dubai fashion weeks,” he pointed out. “But there were some new couture pieces that I specifically made for the Filipino market.”
Asked how he unwinds after a show, Michael revealed, “I stayed at the Shangri-la Makati Hotel so after my show, I just spent my time in my room and then went to the spa for a massage. I also usually go back to my hometown, Catbalogan, Samar, to visit my family and spend quality time with them.”
He added, “After all these ‘couture emotions,’ I need to spend time in a stress-free environment.”
For the Philippine show, Michael, who makes the gowns in Dubai, used tulle, lace and organza. “I want to use indigenous materials from the Philippines like piña and abaca in my next collection,” he shared. “Who knows, after my trip home, I’ll be inspired to do a collection about Filipino culture.
Michael revealed that when in the Philippines, he makes it a point to visit his friends too. “I have so many local Filipino designer friends, like my former Dubai friends who are now Manila-based—Albert Andrada, Val Taguba, my mentor Renee Salud, Fanny Serrano and the legendary Christian Espiritu. I have dinner with my friends from Dubai who are based now in Manila. But most of the time, I hang out with my fave director Ariel Lozada and my best friends JM Montejo, Francis Ariosa and Heydar Hosseini.”
On his mentor Renee Salud, he commented, “Rene is a very kind human being. He taught me how to survive in the cruel world of fashion. He was a friend to me and I always see him every time I’m back in Manila.”
Michael shared more about his Filipino roots: “I grew up in the picturesque town of Catbalogan, Samar which provided me with a lush setting where my imagination would run in wild abandon. As a child, I remember watching classic Hollywood movies in black and white. I was so amazed by the couture gowns worn by Hollywood icons like Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, Marlene Dietrich and Joan Crawford. I think those were the fashion icons who inspired me to be a fashion designer.
“I was a state scholar in one of the top universities in Manila. I studied fashion design in Slim’s Fashion and Arts School and went to London for further studies in fashion and pattern making at the prestigious Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design.”
Michael won the 2011 Breakthrough Designer Award in the WGSN Global Fashion Awards in New York where he competed with international designers from the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia and America.
He was also the first Filipino ever to be featured in the top-rated show, “America’s Next Top Model (ANTM),” for two consecutive seasons.
After Philippine Fashion Week, Michael said that he will “produce the pieces ordered by the buyers from my collection. Then I have to travel again to be inspired to create an impalpable dream collection for the next season.”
In two weeks, as of press time, he will be in Russia again.
So what keeps Michael Cinco going? Where does he get his drive and passion, we asked.
“I’m inspired…when I’m in love…wink…ha ha ha…”
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