Renee Salud empowers women

Pinoys have seen him comfortably crossing over between morning shows of the two rival networks and  hosting segments on fashion (and beauty). But Renée Salud is in his best element inside his atelier dressing up anyone (celebrities and socialites included) who wishes to power dress.

This is what Juan dela Cruz can expect now that the fashion designer is putting his name — and signature — on Natasha’s new line of office wear called Renée Salud for Natasha. Renée is empowering women in this endeavor.

“I know the people (particularly women) in the upper echelon but I should know and reach out to the other women of the world,” says Renée of the recent turn on his career. “On my stints on TV, I have tried so much to be reachable. But people hesitate to go to my shop thinking that my clothes are expensive. It’s flattering in a way that they find that I have class, though. But I want ordinary people to know me.”

That’s why, when the opportunity to know more women by designing clothes for Natasha landed on his lap one day, Renée never had second thoughts of accepting it.

“I believe in the company,” says Renée, president of  Fashion Institute of the Philippines. He has taught children of owners of local brands like Bayo and families like the Gozums. “I like the way they run their business. It has been around for a long time. So I better associate myself with something with a name  you can trust. I’ll be doing differently for Natasha from what I actually do for a living as a designer. It’s purely RTW (ready to wear). I think RTW is the real business of the fashion industry. I’m in the artistic, creative side of the business than the money making. I will dress up the working women of the world with lax, wearable but visual clothes. Renée Salud couture will still be there. And I will do fashion shows for it.”

Although he has done fashion shows here and abroad, plus hosting jobs on the now-defunct Magandang Umaga Pilipinas, and Unang Hirit and guest appearances on beauty contests and shows like Shall We Dance?, Wowowee and Umagang Kay Ganda, Renée remains humble and is never blinded by the glitter of fashion and show business. To this day, he does the cutting of the fabric before his assistants put them together based on the design he has creatively created for his clients. “It’s easy if you know the rudiments,” says Renée.

Renée, the designer thinks veteran and young designers are on equal footing with each other. There’s no such thing as being No. 1 or on top. Each designer has his own clientele to serve.

After all, being known by the upper-crust doesn’t make one an instant millionaire. At the end of the day, it’s still all about hard work and designing well, he says.

Renée is happy that he, in his own little way, has paved the way for young designers to see a future in fashion designing, making a name for themselves in the local and international scenes. One of them is Monique Lhuillier who has designed gowns for Sharon Stone, Sarah Jessica Parker, America Ferreira and Britney Spears.

What’s his signature design and contribution to the pop culture of the ‘80s?

“I think the serpentina and hour-glass gowns (worn by beauty queens like Chat Silayan, Melanie Marquez and Desiree Verdadero),” replies Renée. “A lot of people, especially my kind, have appreciated the  shawl.”