The creative journey is littered with surprising beginnings and crossings. An artist needs to cross the dark thresholds to fully realize their destination.
For Nina Ricci Eleazar, fashion was never just about aesthetics—it was a lifeline, a path that emerged from personal struggle and transformed into a journey of purpose. Her evolution as a designer was an organic response to the circumstances of her life. Nina experienced post-partum depression after her firstborn. Not feeling too confident in her new body, manic shopping became an immediate therapy, or so she thought. Until one day, not finding any more clothes to her liking led her to think about creating ones for herself and for her family. Jumpsuits presented itself as the kindest clothing that a woman can fully transition in – through post- pregnancies, weight gains (or feelings of heaviness), weight losses, or even through days of simply feeling out-of-sync with oneself.
Nina’s original jumpsuit became her totem of transition – where external style seamlessly melds with internal comfort. Thus in 2017, Una Ricci was born, Nina Ricci’s brand named after daughter and mother, Sophia Una and Nina Ricci. For Nina, her brand is the symbol of creative and personal rebirth. She reflects that creative ideas come to her in moments of stillness where divine providence weaves the patterns of inspirations. The raison d’etre behind the jumpsuits of yesterday now informs Una Ricci’s contemporary creations. Versatile, structured, fluid, adaptable, and kind.
‘The Three Waistlines’ is a design philosophy that Nina has developed over the years. It was born out of her insight with changing body shapes, where the natural waistline shifts as one goes through different stages of womanhood. In reality, the body has different waistlines that one can work with, depending on the cut and style of the outfit to be created. Nina never fails to remind her clients to love their curves and to feel beautiful in their bodies. One simple path towards that, she says, is to enjoy wearing the clothes she designed for them – because self-confidence is something you cannot contain. The world will catch on.
Jobert Cristobal’s journey in fashion is marked by trials, transformations, and a triumphant return with newfound clarity. His path was set in motion by his sister, a designer who competed on Project Runway Philippines. Watching her from the television screen, he felt the first spark of creative ambition. That screen became a mirror—reflecting not just admiration, but a calling. Determined, he pursued fashion studies at the Technological University of the Philippines, where he refined his craft and won the Designer of the Year award, an early affirmation of his potential.
A pivotal trial came when a client dismissed his work with a single bone-cutting remark, leaving him in a creative void and struggling with self-doubt. That period of painful reckoning eventually led to a stark realization: that rejection is not a measure of worth but a challenge to refine one’s craft. He began approaching design as a dialogue. He learned to engage with clients differently, to assert his vision while understanding theirs.
Jobert’s signature now lies in bold prints and intricate embellishments, each piece a reflection of his inspirations: his mother, who taught him to sew; his sister, who shaped his path; his niece, who helps handle his business – all of them his constant source of strength. Their influence weaves through his designs, creating both deeply personal and universally resonant apparel.
Jobert approaches fashion with precision and patience, pressing each seam as he sews to ensure a flawless finish. His process is deliberate—balancing meticulous planning with creative spontaneity. He believes perfection is in the details, refining every piece until it strikes a happy outcome both for him and his client.
Jobert is setting his path, slowly and surely. The uncertain designer he once was is now emboldened, rooted in his inspirations, deliberate in his process, unapologetic in his vision. A hard truth shifted the ground for him: great design isn’t about pleasing everyone – it’s knowing that with authenticity, the right audience will find you.
Jaggy Glarino’s talent is fast commanding attention in runways beyond the Philippines, like the upcoming 2025 Sustasia Fashion Prize for instance. His creative mind is formidable, his articulation sharp. He has shifted the silhouettes of fashion from the tried and tested to a testament of the extraordinary and unexplored. One immediately spots a Jaggy Glarino creation – because you just can’t look away without being nostalgic, delightfully curious, and drawn to participate.
Jaggy’s path to fashion wasn’t linear. Hailing from a province where the concept of a designer was unformed, he first pursued a degree in nursing—a pragmatic choice encouraged by family expectations. Even then, creativity found its way into his life. His first “collection” was for his batch’s ring hop ceremony, a testament to his innate design instincts. While reviewing for the US licensure exam, he began designing corporate uniforms, a practical yet unexpected entry into fashion. Soon after, an opportunity to work as a designer abroad emerged—one he took despite lacking formal training.
Thrown into the deep end as head of an atelier in Abu Dhabi at just 22, Jaggy found himself surrounded by artisans who had honed their craft for decades. He was a fish out of water, learning on the job, clearly wearing shoes that were too big for him, at the time. Refusing to be crushed by the weight of failure, that experience became his defining moment. He confronted his shortcomings, enrolled at the Fashion Institute of the Philippines, and later won a scholarship to study in London. The setbacks crystallized his resolve.
Jaggy thrives in contradiction, revels in the unexpected, wears his emotions. Each collection represents a chapter in his life story, each piece an invitation for the audience to step into that narrative. Like a master storyteller, he sows the parts and allows his audience the freedom to unfold the plot.
3D origami kites artistically jut out of a two-piece suit worn on the eve of Philippine Fashion Week’s awaited comeback: is it a homecoming? A prayer loud enough to reach the skies? Or maybe a whisper that only the creator and the wearer will ever know. This is why, for Jaggy, design is an act of trust. “It’s like a secret between me
and the wearer,” he muses. “Not everyone gets to hear it, but if you do, it means we share something—an experience, a memory, a feeling.”
At a time when fashion is often reduced to trends and commerce, Jaggy remains committed to the profound power of clothing to connect, to create moments filled with unspoken understanding. His work reminds us that true luxury is about meaning, not excess. And for those who listen closely, his designs are whispered confessions, waiting to be worn. Jaggy is at the precipice of a breathtaking expansion. His narrative is his to unfold. For us to participate in.
Jerome Salaya Ang. Cherry Veric. Ulysses King. Nina Ricci Eleazar. Jobert Christobal. Jaggy Glarino. A fashion designer’s journey is replete with elements of the hero’s journey – the call to adventure, crossing the thresholds, confronting the enemy, and finally, the return home as one’s authentic, braver self.
Watch how these fashion designers will reinvent the runway with Philippine Fashion Week.
