Interview with Filipino designer Michael Cinco

Just in case you didn’t know the Filipino designer raising the flag for Asian couture, Michael Cinco – who has made his name amongst the glitterati and high society ladies of Dubai – was in town last week to show his collection at Singapore Fashion Week 2013. He is also no strange to celebrities, dressing superstars like Lady GaGa, Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and Dita Von Teese just to name a few.

We were lucky twice this fashion season to not only sit front row and admire his impossibly beautiful and feminine creations – but to also get to have a sneak peek backstage and chat with the couturier about his work and plans.

Here’s what he had to say…

Marie France Asia: Your collection at FIDé Fashion Week stole the spotlight last week. Could you tell us more about it?

Michael Cinco: It’s my first time at FIDé Fashion Week and my collection was inspired by the beautiful culture of Andalucía in Spain, mainly 3 elements:  the matadors, the flamencos and the Alhambra Palace. That’s why the collection consists of three sets, one is the matadors (i.e. black dresses), second is flamencos (i.e. red dresses) and the Alhambra Palace (i.e. beige/white).

MF Asia: Why did you choose black for the matador? We would usually associate the red with the matadors and spears I would imagine…

M C: Yeah, you know how the matadors always have this embroidery and the colours? I don’t like to go with the ‘costume level’. I wanted it to be more couture, so I chose all black and black embroidery on it as it will look “more”; it will look different. And I always like black. It has always been my signature look.

 

MF Asia:  But you also have quite a bit of red pieces…

M C: The red collection is inspired by the flamencos. It’s all about layers, lightness and femininity.

MF Asia:  Your collection also consisted of some menswear. Is that something you’ll be designing in the future?

M C: I have 5 pieces for menswear but I’m concentrating more on the couture pieces. The menswear is there more to make a story for the collection.

MF Asia: On top of being glamorous, your collection is very sophisticated as well. The fabric was covering the body from neck to toe and, at the same time, it allowed us to catch a glimpse of the woman’s body showing power and sensuality while preserving privacy and discretion. How is that?

M C: I think that’s my aesthetic. I always make sure that my dresses are very sexy, detailed. They have a lot of embroidery but at the same time they show the woman’s curves while being very wearable and light. That’s the most important thing.

MF Asia:  If this is Michael Cinco’s vision for women, what would be your vision for men in terms of fashion?

M C: My menswear is also couture: it has to be high fashion. I don’t do ordinary menswear. It has to be embellished with a lot of details in it. It has to be high fashion.

MF Asia: So, would you say that we’re sort of missing those times when men actually wanted to dress to impress, stand out and be fashionable?

M C: I think fact, ink we’re at an age when men are vainer than women. They like a lot of ‘grandeur’ in their outfits as well.

MF Asia: You have been living in Dubai for 15 years now. Although to different extents, both Dubai and Singapore have a high percentage of high-net-worth population that is willing to spend on fashion and to invest. What would be the lesson learnt from Dubai, that you would pass onto Singapore, if any?

M C: I think that one of the main reasons why I am based in Dubai is that women in Dubai spend a lot of money on couture dresses and they love couture in general. Most of my clients are from China, Singapore, Hong Kong and Macau. So one of the reasons why I joined the FIDé Fashion Week is to establish my presence back in the Asian market.

As for Middle Eastern women and how different are they from Asian women… actually, they are almost the same because they like a lot of embellishments. The only thing is that Arab women love more elaborate designs, they love more unique designs. The women in Asia – and particularly in Singapore – love more feminine silhouette, western style but there’s still a lot of “bling” and details in it. I think that Asian women could learn from the Middle Easterns (the way) that they appreciate fashion as art. They want couture pieces more like art. So they really treasure a certain couture piece in Dubai for example.

MF Asia: So mainly for their uniqueness?

M C: Yes, I think so.

MF Asia: Would you ever consider moving to Singapore to be closer to the Philippines?

M C: I love being in Dubai. Maybe I would love having one of my collections to be sold in Singapore. I would love that. Because I have had so many brides from Asia.

MF Asia: What is that single unique selling point that Dubai has in your heart and that kept you there for over a decade?

M C: I am very true to my aesthetic; there has to be a lot of detail and every piece I make is a work of art; And Arab women love to wear my clothes…

 

MF Asia:  This month witnessed the inauguration of the Asian Couture Federation. One of their main objectives from that initiative was to serve as a platform to nurture and develop young and established Asian designers. What would you say is the most valuable support that young and upcoming designers need nowadays?

M C: I think that the Asian Couture Federation is one of the biggest platforms for Asian designers like me – who are new to the market – to promote that we are also ‘there’ on the same level as other international designer. The world has to realise that there is so much Asian talent in the fashion world right now. Like, you know, in New York, the people who rule NY fashion scene are Asian, like Alexander Wang, Derek Lam and so many more Asian designers.

It’s also time for the fashion world to realise that there are so many Asian designers doing couture as well and who can compete with French and Italian designers in that sense. And I think we need that at this time; women are very particular, especially in markets like China and Russia, where women have the means to spend on a certain couture dresses. So I think it’s good for us to let the people know that we have Asian talent.

MF Asia: What was your impression of the show at FIDé Fashion Week so far?

M C: I love it! I am very impressed with the production and how they organised the show.

Lilyth Compostella 

Catwalk photos: FIDé Fashion Weeks