MANILA, Philippines — Ella Pangilinan, daughter of Maricel Laxa and Anthony Pangilinan, wed Enrique Lhuillier-Miranda wearing a revival of Maricel's own wedding dress, thanks in part to designer Rajo Laurel.
Maricel and Rajo are high school classmates and Ella would often accompany her mother's visits to Rajo's studio, igniting her love for design.
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In an Instagram post, Rajo recalled the mother and daughter reaching out to meet him. Maricel brought along her wedding gown designed by the late National Artist Jose "Pitoy" Moreno.
Rajo had Ella try on Maricel's gown, noting that it overwhelmed her petite frame. The designer was enamored by its beautiful and interesting beadwork, and thus thought of restoring the original dress.
"I thought that if I could salvage this and transfer this into a silhouette that would be perfect for Ella," said Rajo. "I then went into a full restoration mode cleaning and bringing the embroidery back to life."
The designer called the project seamless. He thought Ella was "breathtaking" in the final output, leaving Rajo grateful to be able to study the works of his past idols.