Cary Santiago

with Audrey Zubiri

“I remember playing with my mother’s sewing machine as early as 5 years old,” Cary Santiago says. “She was a dressmaker and we had a small dress shop at home.” By his teenage years, Santiago was a working student designing clothes in Cebu. Nowadays, his label is one of the most sought-after in town.

“My clothes are distinctively Cary,” he says. “People can instantly recognise one of my creations. I popularised the use of the laser-cutting technique in my country, and I am also known for fabric manipulation.”

Santiago’s love of experimenting with new ways of creating dresses and sculptural gowns has earned him a place at some of the city’s most lavish events, as well as a fanbase that extends from Manila to Hollywood (his creations have been worn by Beyoncé).

Santiago met his muse, Audrey Zubiri, at one of his shows in Manila when she headed backstage to congratulate him on the show. “We hit it off instantly. She has a lovely personality,” Santiago says of Zubiri. “And she also looks good in anything I put her in, as she exudes such grace and class.”

“People can instantly recognise one of my creations. I popularised the use of laser-cutting techniques in my country”