Furne One comes home to Cebu
MANILA, Philippines - Zee Lifestyle magazine orchestrates a grand homecoming for Furne One, the Dubai-based Cebuano fashion designer who is making waves in the global fashion scene. Furne and one of his muses grace the cover of the magazine’s September fashion issue, and a fashion installation curated by Doro Barandino at the Rizal Library Museum on Sept. 5 and 6, will give Cebuanos a glimpse of what this talented designer has accomplished so far. Lastly, a gala show, “Furne One Finally,” will be the first time the designer’s avant-garde collection will be shown in his hometown of Cebu.
“Furne’s Dubai-based label Amato is synonymous with decadence and grandeur that elevates fashion into art. There’s no doubt that he is Cebu’s and the country’s pride,” says Melo Esguerra, Zee Lifestyle’s guest editor for this year’s fashion issue. “And he has never had a gala show in his hometown since he left Cebu and conquered the world, so it’s about time we did this.”
Furne One started sketching at age 10 inspired by his well-dressed mother, an early venture into the fashion world that may have been a sign of his impending success. Straight out of college, he dabbled in fashion styling for Zee Lifestyle’s editorial shoots and won the MEGA Young Designer of the Philippines Award, which earned him an apprenticeship under Josie Natori. He grabbed first prize at Japan’s Women’s Wear Awards the same year; and became a finalist at Manila’s Fashion Designer Awards three years later.
Invited to the Middle East by some clients, Furne’s career grew even more with the opening of his first boutique in 2002 he named Amato, which means beloved in Arabic. Dubai’s elite was won over by his hand-stitched designs and intricate details that translate art into clothing. Soon, Swarovski commissioned the designer to create a glittering wedding dress to be featured in Unbridaled, their limited-edition book. A continued collaboration resulted, with Furne creating collections for the Crystallized Swarovski Elements events. In Europe, Furne was invited to be a special guest designer on the season finale of Germany’s Next Top Model with Heidi Klum. His collections garnered such a positive response that he was asked to design for Klum in the next three episodes. His collections have been seen on the runways of London, Dubai, Los Angeles, and Miami, as well as on celebrities on the red carpet. Jennifer Lopez, Katy Perry, Shakira, Nicki Minaj, and Nicole Scherzinger are among the ladies who have worn Furne’s creations. His clothes have found their way to music videos and stylized editorials not only in the Middle East, but the US and Europe as well. Read more about this soft-spoken Cebuano with the flaming red hair in Zee Lifestyle magazine’s September issue, now out in newsstands.
“Furne One Finally,” the exclusive one-night only gala fashion show, is a celebration of his creativity and talent at the Rizal Library Building in Osmena Boulevard in Cebu on Friday, Sept. 7. The colonial-style building is an elegant and intimate setting that serves as the perfect venue for a forward-thinking talent. Limited tickets are available at P5,000/seat. Part of the proceeds will benefit the Rizal Library Building and the Beautiful Cebu Movement Foundation.
“Furne One Finally” is sponsored by Tresemme and Samsung, with official partners Qatar Airways and Marco Polo Plaza Cebu. An after-show party will also be hosted by Grey Goose.
For inquiries, call Anna at 0999-8885521 or visit www.zeelifestylecebu.com.
