Silver Lining

Randy Ortiz began his career with two sewing machines and one all-around cutter in his parents’ house in Quezon City 25 years ago. Today, this pillar in Philippine fashion and former two-term president of the Fashion and Design Council of the Philippines (FDCP) has a staff of over 40 and three resident burdaderos (embroiderers).

Then, as now, as he is poised to unveil on Sept. 28  at The Peninsula Manila his 25th anniversary show, “randyOsilver: Heaven on Earth,” Randy’s two main sources of inspiration are his parents Rodolfo and Lourdes.

They not only supported his passion for fashion, they were fashion plates themselves.

And their love for each other drives Randy to excel up to now. That’s why he dubbed his show, “Heaven on Earth.”

“Love will make us discover in our hearts that there is heaven on earth,” says Randy, who tells us his mother died at 12:01 a.m. on his late father’s birth date, Sept. 26. (That’s the reason he chose to mount his show in the same week.)

Randy is truly grateful to “my family and friends for seeing me through 25 years and beyond... to my Mom and Pop, my ultimate inspiration for allowing me to tell the greatest love story ever told!”

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Randy likes to mentor aspiring designers and make use of local fabric to enhance his creations.

Asked about his career’s proudest moments, Randy says without hesitation, “I’m most proud of when I became president of the FDCP for two terms, and when I was chosen as one of the ‘People of the Year 2012’ by PeopleAsia for fashion!”

Randy said in an interview with the magazine, “We take so many of our local artisans and craftsmen for granted. Indigenous fabrics are becoming scarce, and we’re worried that it’s a dying industry. This is why we continuously ask for patronage and support for these products, because it’s an art, a craft that makes Filipino design distinct.”

He explained to PeopleAsia that the concept of Filipino design shouldn’t be placed neatly inside a box. “We used to have a very limited perception of Filipiniana. But for me, anything sourced from the Philippines, made in the Philippines and designed by a Filipino can represent Philippine design.”

Randy’s modesty belies his clientele — Philippine cinema’s A-listers, high society, political figures and fashion personalities. 

As acclaimed stylist and Allure columnist Luis Espiritu Jr. says, “Randy is a modern icon whose countless contributions have made him a living testament of global Filipino talent.”

(You may e-mail me at joanneraeramirez@yahoo.com.)

Photography by Rita Abiog • Creative direction and styling by Luis Espiritu Jr. • Makeup by Ria Aquino for MAC Cosmetics • Hair by Hyatt Laurel • Associate styling by Tara Subaldo and Jona Buenaventura • Model: Grace Tagle-Arigo •  Shot on location at Fairways Tower, Fort Bonifacio Global City  • Special thanks to Vanessa Martinez, management and staff of Fairways Tower, Fort Bonifacio Global City