THE ROOTS WE SHARE

From the small fashion community in the Queen City of the South, designers Cary Santiago and Axel Que have become epitomes of art, imagination, and one-of-a-kind beauty not only for Cebu but for the Philippines as well

- MARIAN SAN PEDRO

WHEN DID YOUR FASHION JOURNEY START? WHAT IS YOUR DESIGN IDEOLOGY OR FASHION IDENTITY?

AQ: It started when I was a high school student. My friends and I were checking out bookstores to see some magazines, and ever since that day I kept on buying until my obsession with fashion hit me. My fashion identity is a mixture of avante-garde silhouettes and following the flow of nature as details.

CS: My mother was a kosturera so she makes clothes. She’s the designer of the community. I was born in 1971, so around that time ilan palang ang mga designers, unlike now. But, the fine few in our community? Ang liit. I was not aware that I was trained by my mom at a very young age to become a designer. Professionally, I think at 15 I was already working. I was so eager to be called a fashion designer because of my environment. I wanted my designs to come to life. I worked for an RTW company so I was already earning. At the age of 24, I already opened my own atelier. I was so passionate about what I do because of the environment that I grew up in.

CAN YOU SHARE WITH US HOW YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS WORKS? WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR INSPIRATION FROM?

AQ: First of all, I do a lot of research. From there, I take and save photos. I read a lot, and contemplate in places which inspire me. Mostly nature, not just its beauty but also the opposite of it. Mixing structure and femininity. Growing in the southern part of Cebu, there’s a lot of nature that surrounds our place. At the same time, I mix it with myth and folklore that originate from my place.