Answered prayers with Vatican
The journey of Ulysses King, the designer behind local brand Vatican, was quite accidental. He was a former CPA, a late bloomer, when fashion suddenly changed his life. “I designed a dress shirt, and it was sold a week after it was displayed in the shop. I was so flattered then that other people were willing to spare money in exchange for my humble ‘work of art.’”
Today, Vatican is his growing fashion brand named after the historical Vatican City. This brand (Ulysses partnered with lawyer Princess Ascalon) offers artful structured pieces. “We both had a common interest in fashion entrepreneurship,” Ulysses says. “Originally, Vatican was a designer-oriented shop composed of different Filipino designers with creations regularly featured on the runway season after season. It quickly gained a reputation for high-fashion and unique pieces. Now it’s more of a standalone fashion brand specializing in RTW and bespoke occasion-wear for men and women.”
His designs are tailored for the sophisticated professional who appreciates creativity. Gone are the days of drab dressing at the office, thanks to Vatican, whose unique cuts and patterns make pieces approachable and distinct.
“The label is designed for people with a sophisticated fashion sense in search of garments that complement their dynamic lifestyle and professional goals,” Ulysses says. “They find styles for both work and pleasure. They are confident and smart. They know the role of fashion and style. They work hard and play hard. They are passionate and proactive. They are winners.”
This season, Vatican pays tribute to Filipino artists like Fernando Amorsolo, as well as local flowers like gumamela and waling-waling with handpainted flora dotting his pieces. Ulysses gets plenty of his inspiration from traveling, reading books and observing people from all walks of life. Knowing just how dynamic, intelligent, passionate and hardworking his audience is, Vatican is as practical as it is fashionable.
With designers like Ulysses and brands like Vatican, the Philippine fashion industry is one step closer to this designer’s dream: Locally focused, accessible and fashion-conscious. “I hope more designers would be brave enough to patronize our own materials and designs that would blend in to international trends without losing our identity as Filipinos. This should be the guiding principle and vision if we want to revive the glory of Philippine fashion.”
Jail Jeans and Vatican are both available in Cinderella Glorietta 3.