FASHION
WE give you over 40 bridal gowns to inspire the modern Filipina bride.
Any wedding gown can be visually appealing in its own right, but it takes a designer’s meticulous eye, a keen understanding of the bride’s preferences, and immense technical knowledge for a gown to make its wearer look and feel beautiful. Ryan Chris Baylen articulates it well: it is the designer’s responsibility to guide brides toward the best silhouettes, fabrics, and final design to fit their tastes and physiques.
At the end of the day, this combination of the designer’s expertise and the client’s wishes are what Ryan Chris considers as the recipe for a gown’s success. His design sensibilities become more astounding when one learns that the young creative has no formal fashion education. What he has, however, is a fervent dreamer’s tenacity to make his wishes come true.
Hearing more about Ryan Chris’s childhood makes one think that the designer was already fated to be in fashion: his favorite toy was an old Singer sewing machine, he loved sewing dresses for dolls, and he revered fashion catalogues as his Bibles. Like a kid reading a fairy tale with wonder, Ryan Chris grew more inspired as he flipped the pages of his fashion magazines, further igniting his passion for design. Growing up, his childhood dreams only became stronger, and he has never let them go.
His namesake label R Y A N C H R I S™, which he trademarked in 2012, started as Ryan Chris Gown Rental in the outskirts of Sta. Ana, Manila in 2011. He started the business as a one-man team, capitalizing on social media and the online selling platform OLX. Orders came in droves, eventually forcing him to expand his manpower and shop. He then moved to a more accessible location in New Panaderos, where he now currently entertains his clients.
Ryan Chris spent years fine-tuning his design process, eventually opening Manila Grand Rentals in 2016. Two years after, he expanded further, opening The Bridal Studio. All these business ventures are now incorporated into his main shop.
2019 became Ryan Chris’s landmark year, releasing two bridal collections and drawing the attention of the industry and media. His debut collection, “Ofrendas de Flores,” was inspired by flower offerings, and demonstrated his meticulous attention to detail. October 2019 also saw the rise of “Ethereal,” which brought audiences to Ryan Chris’ imaginative fantasy world.
Bridal savants can expect Ryan Chris to deliver his strong sense of fit, form, and function as he moves toward more ventures. Motivated by the success of his previous shows, the young creative has two more collections for the industry to look forward to: the “Pearl of the Orient” line and the “Diamonds are Forever” collection. Another special collection is in the works for his fashion house’s participation in this year’s Philippine Fashion Week.
His label has also gained recent recognition for dressing dapper grooms with impeccably made suits and tuxedos—a feat Ryan Chris has achieved by working with the best tailors, and a welcome addition to his brand.
But perhaps the greatest thing to look forward to from Ryan Chris is how his success story will be able to help others who were, like him, fervent dreamers who never gave up. Last year saw the rise of the Ryan Chris Foundation, an initiative geared toward inspiring people from all walks of life to continue pursuing their dreams. And, in the years to come, the designer hopes to put up a fashion school and pass on his technical knowledge and passion to the next generation of hopefuls.