Robby Carmona: From model to model maker

It is likely that every major model, hotspot and brand in Manila has, in one way or another, been involved in an event that was put together by this man. In his 17 years as an event and fashion show director, he has dealt with everything from shampoo to beverages to couture. “Up to now when I go to my technical booth and I wear my headset, it feels like the first time, kinakabahan pa rin ako,” he says. His talent for coming up with new ways to present things makes him one of the most in-demand directors in the industry. Here are 10 things you should know about Robby Carmona.

1. Robby’s first foray into the fashion industry was as a model. On the production side, he started as an assistant tasked to call the models from the dressing room to put on standby backstage.

He was 14 years old when he joined a model search for Adidas Fashion Company. Out of the 700 who auditioned, he was chosen as one of the 10 image models, and his schedule was instantly filled with TV guestings (“to sing and dance”), pictorials, and fashion shows. “I met a lot of good, inspiring people in the industry, it was very fulfilling,” he says of his ramp and print modeling career that spanned around six years. He decided to lay low in modeling when he was given a break by Ace Saatchi head caster Flor Salanga to cast a commercial for Ivory. “Ma-PR na ako nun, fashyon na ako nun, and she saw my potential, that I had a great eye for talent,” he shares. He went on to cast more product launches like Vidal Sassoon and Fanny Serrano for Head & Shoulders. During his stint as a caster, he also took on the job as an assistant for fashion director Robert Tongco. “He had ‘ninja boys,’ yung mga P.A. niya na talagang nagtatrabaho, at ako yung assistant ng ‘ninja boys’,” Robby reveals. He jumped from P.A. straight to to assistant director, (“I’m really like a sponge, I’m very observant,”) going full circle from model to choreographer for segments involving models.

2. He was a popular kid back in school: volleyball team captain, Mr. Intramurals, director of Binibining CSA.

“I was not shy,” Robby declares. “Even for the young people now, I want them to know walang mangyayari if you’re shy, you have to be on the go and push your dreams.” As early as Grade Seven, he was a part of the Adeodatus Foundation in Colegio San Agustin, where he would co-choreograph for their batch in the cheerleading competitions, and direct programs for Linggo ng Wika. His biggest project was Binibining CSA, where he recalls that his idea of directing then was to just tell people what they had to do. “I didn’t have a headset, I was backstage, I didn’t even time the show,” he shares. He booked a male host last minute (he called a radio station and offered the first DJ that answered P1,000 to host the pageant) and didn’t anticipate the time it would take to tabulate scores. “I was so stressed I just sat in one corner I didn’t know what to do. Yun yung first experience but learning curve ko din.”

3. He started his events company Saga when he was only 22 years old. “I would produce my own events kasi wala pang nagtitiwala sa akin nun.”

He tied up with Mars disco and he booked his own brands. How? “I would call offices and I would ask the name of the marketing manager, and Yellow Pages yun wala pang Google! I would ask for an appointment, write a letter, fax it, wait for weeks, do follow-ups, wait for the reply, super kulit, super follow-up, until super makulitan na and they’d set a meeting,” he reveals. He hired one secretary to help him do the work out of his home, until he booked more and more accounts and had to add accounts and production staff. He has 21 employees today, but a lot have already moved on to put up their own companies. “I’m very happy because they’re now creating their own and inspiring others as well,” he says.

It was his shows in Mars that got PR maven Edd Fuentes to notice his work. Robby presented himself to Edd and said, “Uy baka naman you want me to direct a fashion show.” After a string of small-scale events, the show that got him noticed was an event titled “Denims and Diamonds,” a collaboration between Girbaud, Evian and De Beers. At a time when stylists didn’t exist and models did their own makeup, Robby put together design team Michael Salientes, Diane Jardinero, Gary Garcia and makeup artists Jing Monis, Juan Sarte, Marlon Rivera and Cristine Duque (who eventually became Propaganda) to do the show. That show was in 1995, and as they say, the rest is history.

He considers the Fashionista Best Model Search he put up with music channel MTV in 2001 as the turning point in his career. The show produced models Victor Basa, Isabel Oli, Brent Javier, Rocky Salumbides, Melissa Frye, and Ria Bolivar within the five years it was on. “I wanted to help my industry to develop new models, so that was one dream fulfilled for me.”

4. His exposure to the fashion industry actually began at home. His father Derek was a model and his mom Susan had a small jewelry business.

When he joined the Adidas model search, he didn’t mention anything about being his father’s son because he wanted to make it on his own merits. That, on top of his parents’ separation and his dad departed for the US when he was seven years old, leaving his mom to raise him alone. “They were never really married, but I’m a Carmona,” he opens up. It was later on in his modeling career that industry insiders found out that he was Derek’s son, and Robby says it turned out to be a good thing. “They helped me out, honed me, gave me jobs. Mabait yung dad ko.” Robby has three half-siblings (by his dad) who all live in the US, and he is very much in touch with them today. “I got the creative traits from my dad. My being patient and street smart, I got from my mom.”

5. On his being born out of wedlock and his parents’ separation: “Kung nagka-angst ako, I probably wouldn’t be as ambitious or goal-oriented as I am right now.”

He mentions that he hardly ever talks about his family life, even with friends, and the only other time he has opened up about this was at a life coaching seminar. “Actually, okay lang, para mailabas ko din,” he sighs and pauses. “Even if you’re from a broken family it doesn’t mean you can’t excel. It’s supposed to give you the drive to have a better life. Life is full of choices and it’s you who makes those choices.”

6. Robby claims to have two sides to him: his well-known jolly self, and his less-known loner self.

When asked about the disparity between the noisy world of clubbing and partying, and being alone at home at night, he says: “I really have my noisy side. I like being surrounded by fun people, having fun with friends, making people laugh.” On the other hand, he also has his quiet side and occasionally enjoys eating out, watching movies, and traveling alone. “That’s when I discover who I am more, my two sides create a balance,” he reveals.

7. Robby Carmona in numbers:

2: Average number of months it takes to prepare for a show.

3,000: Number of pesos and a bottle of vodka was his first ever paycheck for a fashion show he directed at Mars disco.

10: Size in square meters of his walk-in closet in his Mandaluyong home. “I give away my clothes and my shoes regularly, or I join charity bazaars!”

1,000+: Number of CDs in his collection. He loves Chicane when in Boracay, Rihanna and Beyonce when working out, and his current favorites are DJ David Guetta and Azalea Banks.

7: Number of years his driver Rommel has been with him. “Memorize na niya lahat!”

8. Robby’s top party tips:

1. Good music: “Prepare a playlist beforehand. The selection will depend on the set of friends you invited.”

2. Booze: “Make sure that you don’t run out of drinks to keep the party going!”

3. Good food: “Make it complement the drink as well. Cheese and cold cuts never fail.”

4. Great friends: “The most important. A party wouldn’t be complete without friends you love and whose company you enjoy.”

9. Of the young Filipino designers, he lists Martin Bautista, Veejay Floresca and Kermit Tesoro as the next big names.

Martin Bautista: “Iba ang aesthetics niya, ang galing. He thinks differently. He’s an artist and he’s very creative.”

Veejay Floresca: “In terms of the business side, he’s the next big thing. And he knows his craft so well. Balanse siya.”

Kermit Tesoro: “For his creativity in pushing the limits to go international.”

Robby also names Mich Dulce, Gian Romano, Jerome Lorico, Chris Jazler and Eric de los Santos as some of the most promising young designers.

In this generation, he names Rajo Laurel, Lesley Mobo, Randy Ortiz, Oliver Tolentino, Monique Lhuillier and Francis Libiran as some of the biggest standouts. “This would not have been possible without the help of the senior designers who really paved the way for this generation to leave a mark,” Robby says of the iconic Pitoy Moreno, Ben Farrales and Auggie Cordero.

Of the new generation models, he believes the next supermodels will be Sam Gomez (“She has a beautiful face that defines the look of this generation”), Irish Ong and Natassha Bautista.

10. On what the fashion industry is doing right: “Pushing the boundaries to go global.” On what the fashion industry is doing wrong: “Being closed-minded to change.”

He admires the local designers who are pushing their craft abroad, and branding their products as Filipino for the world to take notice. Robby’s dream is for Manila to be known one day as an Asian fashion capital, and for more designers to make a big name internationally. “The next step would be to get buyers and international press, so there would be business for the young ones,” he explains. He believes fashion today is all about collaboration and that he wishes everyone would open their doors so we can be one industry. “Walang cliques, walang clannish, we should work as one.”

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He is three years away from celebrating 20 years in the industry. When asked if he is planning anything big for this milestone, he shrugs it off and says, “Matagal pa yun.” As someone who lives one day at a time and each day to the fullest, Robby has never seemed to worry about his future. More than bookends, he looks at next steps. “I want to do something to be able to teach the next generation to build themselves both as individuals and businessmen, to push their creativity to the limits,” he declares. Surely, another grand celebration with great company will be the mark of whatever this next big step may be.

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E-mail me at askiamsuperbianca@yahoo.com or follow me on Twitter <@iamsuperbianca>.