From New York to Dubai

DESIGNER WATCH: Furne One

MANILA, Philippines - East meets West, North and South. These are the four directions everyone follows. Like the four directions, many countries have embraced different cultures. One Filipino who knows this is fashion designer Furne One of Amato Couture.

In an interview via e-mail, One, who is based in Dubai, shares his story of winning a fashion contest, why he chose Dubai and how it was working with supermodel Heidi Klum.

‘Image is a total package’

Raised in Cebu, One said that as early in his teens, he was already interested in fashion.

“I do remember that my earliest influences in fashion involved both my mother and my grandmother. Back then, they were what most people today would call fashionistas. I actually learned a lot about fashion when I was still a child because I was fascinated with the way they dressed up. I remember that even in grade school, I would come up with sketches of dresses complete with bags, shoes and accessories,” One said.

The designer said he was already an advocate of the total image concept. “It’s not just your outfit that counts. The hair, the makeup, everything works together to give you a specific look. Image, for me, is like a total package.”

After working with other shops, he managed to put up one of his own. He then participated in the Mega magazine Best Young Designer contest in 1994, which he didn’t want to join at first.

“I was reluctant to join at first, but after a lot of coaxing from friends and peers, I decided to submit an entry, and much to my surprise, I won. After that, I went to New York to work for Josie Natori. I actually consider her as my mentor, because she, in her own way, jumpstarted my career as an international designer,” he said.

Amato Couture

After winning the contest and working for Natori, One traveled to various places before settling in Dubai, where he is currently based.

“I’ve been to the US and various parts of Europe, and it was really fabulous! But when I went to Dubai, there was a certain something that drew me to it. It’s a young, vibrant and modern city infused with rich and colorful culture that I felt was attuned to my own creative energies,” he said.

In Dubai, he set up his atelier, Amato Couture. Of the name, Furne explains: “Amato is actually an Italian word. It’s like the English equivalent of ‘sweetheart,’ and its literal meaning is ‘beloved.’ I like the sound of the word, because it conjures images of beauty and glamour, and it has a nice ring to it. And, it coincides with all of the other things in my life.”

It was also in Dubai that he saw the fusion of different cultures. “I realized that Dubai isn’t just about all things Arabian. It’s basically like a melting pot of cultures from different countries — India, Egypt, Pakistan, Palestine, South Africa and even the UK. Needless to say, the diversity just blew me away.”

He describes the woman wearing his clothes as “the kind of woman who’s smart, independent and has impeccable taste. She’s not afraid of her sensuality and she celebrates her strength and uniqueness. She is a woman who knows what she wants and won’t apologize for it.”

He looks up to the designs of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano and would love to dress up actresses Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman and Angelina Jolie as well as singers Rihanna and Madonna.

Heidi Klum and Germany’s Next Top Model

While he dressed up a number of European and Middle Eastern royalties, One gained attention in Germany when he was asked to dress up the contestants of Germany’s Next Top Model hosted by supermodel Heidi Klum.

On working with Klum, One has nothing but praises for the supermodel. “When you get to work with Heidi Klum, I think you’ll realize that her luminous good looks are not the only reasons why she became a supermodel. She’s very professional, she knows what she’s doing and she’s also a very nurturing and caring person. She encourages growth and progress in people she works with. I think these are things that should be considered a good and rare quality for someone of her prominence and stature.”

One also participated in the 2009 Miami Fashion Week and received the Designer’s Choice Award, an award he did not expect.

“Receiving the Designer’s Choice Award in this year’s Miami Fashion Week was a truly overwhelming, if not unexpected, experience. I almost didn’t participate in it because when I was invited to join, I had a lot of other previous commitments that I had to finish. And it was my first time to join a Fashion Week outside Dubai,” he said.

“I didn’t set out to win anything. I didn’t even know there were awards up for grabs. I just wanted to showcase my new collection, because I was proud of it, and I had a lot of fun doing it. The award was a huge honor for me, but it was really just a big bonus. I was simply doing something that I loved, and I just happened to get recognition for it,” he added.

One is also happy to hear that more Filipino designers are getting recognized and wishes there would be more of them.

 “I do wish I could see more Filipino designers break into the global scene. And honestly, I am happy for and proud of those who have. I just hope there would be more of them in the near future. If only to give our country more prestige, and other deserving artists the chance to shine.”

As for his plans, One said that he would love to open a shop in Manila but for the meantime, will focus on his other projects.

And for aspiring designers, this is what One has to say: “Just two things: hard work and creative imagination. It is as they say; success is 50 percent inspiration and 50 percent perspiration.”

“Don’t be afraid to dream. And don’t be afraid to dream big! Focus your creative energies, and be diligent enough to follow it through. Back it up with coordination. Work on it as if your life depended on it! But above all, do it because you love doing it. Because there’s nothing else in the world that you’d rather do. And of course, a little luck along the way is always welcome.”

With his mastery of fusing different cultures, Furne One has definitely shown that a Filipino designer can go beyond the boundaries of fashion design.