The Philippine Online Chronicles

Fashion stylists lead a difficult life. Like invisible stagehands, they make things happen but are rarely credited for all their hard work. During red carpet events, celebrities are asked the eternal question: who are you wearing? If there’s a bit more time for a second question, it’s about who did their makeup. Rarely, if at all, is the fashion stylist mentioned.

But the problem, perhaps, is that few people know exactly what a fashion stylist is. Rachel Zoe has done more than enough to introduce this particular profession to the world, but most Filipinos probably don’t even realize that being a fashion stylist is an actual job. Lauren Dado writes, “A fashion stylist is responsible for assembling clothes, accessories, and props to achieve a certain look”. These stylists work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that their clients look perfect for pictorials, fashion shows, advertisements, television shows, and even special red carpet events.

It’s not enough to have a good personal sense of what works and what doesn’t; being a fashion stylist requires in-depth knowledge of the latest trends, as well as the best colors and silhouettes for different body types. Their most important skill, however, would be the ability to work in tandem with the designer and the makeup artist to fulfill the look that the client is looking for.

We may not have local reality shows dissecting the lives of fashion stylists a la Rachel Zoe at the moment, but there’s no denying that we do have a number of highly talented ones in the country.

Liz Uy

This Hotel, Restaurant, and Institution Management (HRIM) graduate didn’t really think she was into fashion, until Pauline Suaco-Juan saw one of her DIY photo shoots and called her in for a job interview with Preview magazine. The rest, as the cliché goes, is history.

Liz Uy might just be the Philippines’ answer to Rachel Zoe, as she has brought much attention to the fashion stylist career. Uy started out as an editorial assistant, and is currently editor-at-large of both Preview and Esquire. She is also the top celebrity stylist de jour, with clients like Anne Curtis, Ruffa Gutierrez, Bea Alonzo, and the President of the Philippines in her roster.

Her short-lived romance with Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III sparked such a media frenzy that the “presidential stylist” went from behind the scenes to cover girl in just a few days. Despite her high profile relationships (she also dated local showbiz’s heartthrob, John Lloyd Cruz), Uy has managed to remain her own person, and is now recognized not just as “the girl the President dated”, but as a top fashion stylist in her own right.

Liz Uy as a Preview cover girl

Pam Quinones

Philippine Star’s September Mahino lauded Pam Quinones for her “ability to take in the latest runway trends and translate them into more publicly palatable looks in her work”, citing this as the reason for her well-deserved popularity within the world of fashion.

Quinones might just be one of the country’s most prolific stylists, working behind a variety of ads for companies such as Vespa, Antonov Vodka, Head and Shoulders, Motorola, and more. Quinones is also the go-to stylist for magazines, from feminine chic Marie Claire (she used to be fashion editor before it folded up) to racy Rogue and Maxim.

She was named one of Mega magazine’s “Most Stylish Women” of 2011.

Alexandra Lapa

In her own words, Alex Lapa was once a tomboyish girl who didn’t care about her looks. Her love affair with fashion began while she was taking up Multimedia Arts; Lapa took up fashion photography and found herself enjoying the logistics and creativity of planning entire photo shoots, from planning the concept to executing it.

Lapa laments the notion that the people who take time to care for their looks are vain. Realizing that “looking good” was a basic necessity, Lapa became a full-time freelance stylist, hoping to help more people achieve their inner potential.

Today, Lapa works with one of the country’s most respected stylists, Noel Manapat. She styles KC Concepcion’s outfits for The Buzz as well as her advertisements (Century Tuna and Real Leaf); she also styled and modeled Ferretti’s July to September lookbook.

Lapa also blogs as the Reluctant Stylista, sharing a chronicle of her adventures as a celebrity fashion stylist to the online world.

Noel Manapat

The Philippines has been all abuzz over Bench’s appearance in Tyra Banks’ America’s Next Top Model (ANTM). The contestants wore the local brand for an interesting photo shoot in Greece, and brand ambassador Georgina Wilson made a brief appearance on the show. While the brief spot seemed a little short on Pinoy participation, what most don’t know is that working behind the scenes was one of the Philippines’ most respected stylists: Noel Manapat.

Poster released for promotional purposes

Manapat is Bench’s foremost stylist; for the Bench x ANTM shoot, he was called in to work as fashion director. And yes, he styled that controversial Volcanoes billboard that got torn down faster than you can say “censors”. Manapat is part of the Designer Fashion Workshops launched by Lulu Tan-Gan, Inno Sotto, and Jojie Lloren, where he teaches a short course in Fashion Styling.

Alyanna Martinez

She’s showbiz royalty, but she opted to veer sharply away from her birthright. Alyanna Martinez – daughter of Albert and Liezl Martinez and granddaughter of showbiz grand dame Amalia Fuentes – is no actress. She’s much more comfortable behind the scenes, styling for the likes of Ruffa Gutierrez, Andi Eigenmann, Maricar Reyes, and more.

Like most other stylists, Martinez picked up her skills on the job; she worked for Preview magazine for two years before going freelance. In styling her celebrity clients, Martinez tries to capture the essence of her client’s personality and distills it through fashion. Interestingly, she names her father Albert Martinez her most difficult client, calling him choosy. Martinez now shares her expertise and techniques with aspiring stylists, teaching a half-day course on celebrity fashion styling at the School of Fashion and the Arts (SoFA).