“I remember playing with my mother’s sewing machine
as early as fi ve years old,” Cary Santiago says. “She was a
dressmaker and we had a small dress shop at home.” By his
teenage years, Santiago was a working student designing
clothes in Cebu. Nowadays, his label is one of the most
sought-after in the country.
“My clothes are distinctively Cary,” he says. “People can
instantly recognise one of my creations. I popularised the
use of the laser-cutting technique in the Philippines, and I
am also known for fabric manipulation.”
Santiago’s love of experimenting with new ways of
creating dresses and sculptural gowns has earned him a place
at some of the city’s most lavish events, as well as a fanbase
that extends from Manila to Hollywood (his creations have
been worn by Beyoncé).
Santiago met his muse, Audrey Zubiri, wife of Filipino
politician Juan Miguel Zubiri, at one of his shows in Manila
when she headed backstage to congratulate him on the show.
“We hit it off instantly. She has a lovely personality and looks
good in anything I put her in, as she has such grace and class.”Cary Santiago with Audrey Zubiri
Photographed in his Cebu atelier by Patrick Diokno; Words by Monique Madsen
“People can instantly recognise one of my creations.
I popularised the use of laser-cutting techniques
in the Philippines”
174 singapore tatler. october 2019