Designing With Purpose

Fashion designer Sofia Borromeo is making waves in her own understated style

- Pierra C. Labrador

I’m a really shy person so I have a hard time getting featured,” reveals young fashion designer Sofia Borromeo. Nevertheless, her namesake ready-to wear brand Sofie B., which is celebrating its second year anniversary this August, has already been recognized by no less than Women’s Wear Daily (WWD) for her efforts to bring the Philippines to the forefront of the fashion industry. “The two Filipinas who are world-recognized—Josie Natori, who I worked for, and Monique Lhuillier—are known [in the industry] as Americans. There is no Filipino really known for women’s wear; for accessories, yes, but no one for women’s wear,” says the soft-spoken yet strong-willed designer. Thus, shyness be damned, Borromeo’s mission is to help define who the contemporary Filipina is on the global stage, showcase local craftsmanship, and inspire other up-and-coming designers to do the same.

HEART OF AN ARTIST

Borromeo grew up surrounded by architects, industrial designers, and creative spirits (the fabulously stylish Tessa Prieto-Valdes is her aunt), fostering her passion for fashion—the form and structure of it all—early on. As a little girl, Borromeo was fascinated by the sight of her maternal grandmother’s personal seamstresses sewing away every Sunday. “My grandmother, Rosemarie Prieto, had seven children. She would make her children’s clothes, and they dressed all the same. Just think of the Sound of Music, that was them!” Meanwhile, she remembers her paternal grandmother Josefina “Nena” Borromeo as impeccably stylish and never casually dressed. “I would watch her tease her hair and apply her own makeup… it was always an inspiration watching her dress for social events.”