MANILA, Philippines - Sitting in the backroom of Rock & Republic in the US, the then 19-year-old Cebuana beauty Maria Irisha Arcenas, more fondly called Mia, thought, “Why am I (here slaving away in the backroom) when I could be designing my own brand back home?” Undoubtedly, that moment of clarity ignited what would be a long-burning passion in the only child of Dindo and Iris (nee Fernan) Arcenas, of the renowned Ferimar brand of fashion accessories in Cebu.
“Fashion wasn’t really what I wanted,” reveals the 24-year-old radiant beauty. Pursuing Law had always been her dream, but after submitting several applications to her chosen universities, she thought perhaps that life had something else in store for her. With time ticking and with her friends heading off to their respective colleges, Mia didn’t want to be left behind, so at the very last minute, she submitted her application to the prestigious Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles. Mia graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Apparel Manufacturing Management.
It was no surprise that she would flourish in this more creative endeavor, especially hailing from a home that reveled in fashion. As early as she could remember, Mia tagged along with her mother to the trade shows and fashion shows in Paris, Hong Kong, Milan and Rome. Mia thanks her mother not only for her beautiful genes and impeccable style, but also for honing her talent at an early age.
“I remember when I was a young girl, I would go to the factory after school and my mother would ask me to draw bags and necklaces. I didn’t think of it much, I just had fun sketching.” Little did Mia know that her mother would take these designs and produce them, and that these little exercises of creativity would be the threads that would pull her towards her newfound calling — design. “Thinking about it now, I may not have wanted to go into design in the beginning because I thought, ‘I do this every day.’ Sometimes you just take things for granted,” she smiles, obviously wiser now.
Today, as the VP of operations and marketing of Ferimar, Mia has fully embraced her flair for fashion and puts her passions on display in her luxury resorts wear and accessories line, which is available on the exotic shores of Morocco, Maldives, Thailand, Australia and Japan. Locally, you can find her designs hanging in the boutiques of Shangri-La, Crimson, Alegre, Discovery Shores and Amanpulo.
Though her kaftans remain to be her trademark and bestsellers, Mia uses her golden touch in creating unique jewelry and bags as well. “In fashion, people think you have to compete with the best designers. No, you just have to find your own niche market and focus,” beams the former Binibining Pilipinas 2012 candidate and cousin of celebrity Matteo Guidicelli. “I don’t want to compete with couture. My direction is more comfy chic. No pretensions. I design clothes that show off what women want to show off, clothes that you can wear not just for one occasion but for many occasions.”
Photography by MAU AGUASIN • Creative direction by LUIS ESPIRITU JR. • Styling by JONA BUENAVENTURA • Makeup by RIA AQUINO for MAC Cosmetics • Hairstyling by AVRIL SEGUIN • Light pink and deep pink dresses both by MIA ARCENAS • Jewelry by MILADAY JEWELS • Shot on location at SOLAIRE RESORT & CASINO’s FINESTRA