Alvin Matias holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture from the University of the Philippines. Beside running his own architectural firm, he spent years as head of the Visual Merchandising Department of Penshoppe, a local garment brand that has stores in most of the shopping malls in Metro Manila and the provinces.

Apple Faraon is one of the most sought-after makeup artists in the Philippines. She is a MAC Cosmetics Freelance Affiliate Artist (Philippines). She attended the Fashion Make-up Artistry Program, Make-up Design, New York in 2011 and 2012. Apple was the key make-up artist for the Canada-Philippine Fashion Week (CPFW) in 2013 and 2014. She teaches Basic Beauty Makeup, Bridal Makeup and Editorial Makeup.

Ariel Lozada is a firm and influential figure in producing and directing fashion shows. His directorial resume includes the best fashion figures in the Philippines. Lozada believes that there is a need to nurture young designers and encourage those who want to get into the field of fashion. Being known as the director of the behemoth shows of Bench, his services were also tapped by the European Chamber of Commerce, Garments and Textiles Export Board, Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions, and the Fashion and Design Council of the Philippines. At present, he continues to do overseas projects in Singapore, Shanghai, and Dubai.

Backed with 15 years of worked experienced Byron Velasquez, is a freelance make-up artist  who does work for print, stage and television. Byron is affiliated with MAC Cosmetics. He teaches Basic Beauty Makeup and Bridal Makeup.

A Bachelor of Arts graduate of the University of the Philippines, Moral started with the Philippine Daily Inquirer as a writer in 1996. She has been covering fashion and lifestyle events, and presently is the Lifestyle Editor of the said broadsheet. Cheche is one of FAB’s Fashion Writing Workshop mentors.

Cherry Veric was a finalist in Project Runway Philippines Season 2. He is well-known for his beaded creations and well-loved by celebrities and socialites. Cherry has represented the Philippines in Fashion Weeks of  Toronto, New York, to name a few. Veric is one of the mentors of the Beadwork Workshop.

Dennis knows elegance and restraint. He began in the fashion industry designing for a renowned men’s label where he honed his unparalleled skill at tailoring. In the early 2000, Lustico made his solo fashion breakthrough where his feminine dresses were the entire rave among Manila’s stylish set. He mentors students of the Women’s Wear Design Workshop.

Dong Omaga-Diaz is one of the founding members and first president of the Young Designers’ Guild of the Philippines. He also was president of the Fashion and Design Council of the Philippines. In 2000, Dong won the Philippine Young Designers Competition in Manila, and a few months after was awarded the Lesage prize at the Concours International des Jeunes Créateurs de Mode. He attended the Lesage School of Embroidery in Paris, as part of his prize. Omaga-Diaz mentors FAB’s Beadwork and Embroidery workshops.

Multi-awarded fashion designer Inno Sotto got his start in 1980 when he won the Most Outstanding Designers Competition. Following his victory, he set up base in Malate, Manila. The following years saw him joining forces with fellow designers to form Filipino Designers Group (FGD), being elected to the group’s presidency, showing collections locally and internationally and opening his first boutique. Since then, Philippine fashion hasn’t quite been the same. Sotto handles the Designing a Collection class.

After earning a B.S. Nursing degree, Ivarluski Aseron decided to become a fashion designer and started taking fashion short courses. He was assistant to Bobby Novenario in the 90s. Ivar, as he is fondly called, put up shop in the early 2000s; and since then has been enjoying the patronage of Manila’s fashionable set. Aseron is known for his unconventional and intelligently-designed pieces. He is one of FAB’s Women’s Wear Design mentors.

Jackie Aquino is among the most respected and experienced fashion show and events director in the country, with a splendid 25-year career.

His JCA Productions has been behind some of the most memorable events—from fashion shows to product launches, concerts and corporate productions—including the MetroWear fashion series and Inquirer Lifestyle Face-Off.

He has staged shows not only around the country but also abroad.

Among his first-rate clients are Hermes, Gucci, Bulgari, Samsung, Ayala Malls, Philippine Airlines and The Peninsula Manila. Aquino majored in literature at De La Salle University, Manila. Jackie is one of the mentors of Fashion Show Production.

James Reyes’ remarkable career chased a rather circuitous route. First, he was an award-winning ad agency art director at Campaigns and Grey. Then, he took a sharp left, and enrolled at Slim’s Fashion and Art School to become a fashion designer. Lately, he is busy in the world of theater, designing costumes for local productions and musicals.

As a fashion designer, his style is rooted in the fine arts. His shapes are often architectural and geometric. There’s always a clever twist to his garments.

A former president of the Young Designers Guild, he was also a finalist in the Young Designers Competition in 2002,and presented his design in Paris, France.

Reyes is a graduate of the University of the Philippines’ College of Fine Arts.

Former design faculty of the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, Los Angeles, California, where he also graduated Summa Cum Laude in Advanced Fashion Design and won as US representative to the Air France Design competition (Paris, France) and grand prize for “ Rencontre International des Jeune Talent” (St. Galle, Switzerland) among others including US Hispanic designer of the year ( Washington DC). He was the first Filipino to show in NY Fashion Week then sold his line to Saks Fifth Ave., Holt Renfrew, Kleinfelds and other designer boutiques under his US label “Antonio Garcia”. He now teaches and consults for Fashion in Manila while working in his Atelier under his own label. Garcia teaches Fashion Illustration.

JC Buendia hardly needs an introduction—he’s spent over 30 years designing wedding gowns and couture, and his work has long been immortalized on the runway and in the glossy pages of fashion magazines throughout the years. He served the Fashion and Design Council of the Philippines as its president for two consecutive terms. JC is one of the mentors of Women’s Wear Design.

Jo Ann Bitagcol is a sought-after model who has made the successful switch to fashion photography, even as she still does the occasional walk for the shows of her designer friends. She attended a basic photography course at the University of the Philippines. She also apprenticed with some of the country’s eminent photographers. Being a model has its perks, as she would also pick up techniques from said photographers as she preened in front of their lenses. Bitagcol does editorial shoots for fashion glossies and broadsheets. Jo Ann aslo does photography for celebrities and corporate client, and has exhibited her photography in various venues, including a collaboration with Jojie Lloren at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in 2015.

Joey Cobcobo has won multiple awards in many competitions, such as the Juror’s Choice of Excellency in the Philippine Art Awards 2010. His works have been displayed in exhibitions held around the world, from local exhibitions in the Philippines to overseas exhibitions in the USA, Vietnam, South Korea and Australia. For his contributions to the art scene, Cobcobo was one of the 13 recipients of the Artists Award given by the Cultural Centre of the Philippines in 2012. Cobcobo teaches Block Printing, Silkscreen Printing and Hand-painting on fabrics.

Joey Samson is a fashion designer known for his minimalist and distinctly androgynous aesthetics and deconstructed forms. His avant-garde sensibility combined with his razor-sharp tailoring makes his style unique and a standout in his generation of Filipino designers. A finalist at the 2000 Young Designers Competition, which allowed him to present his work in Paris, France, Samson has been making garments professionally for 15 years. He was a featured designer of the 2017 Red Charity Gala. He has also designed capsule collections for various brands , like Human and Regatta. Before enrolling at Slim’s Fashion and Arts School, Samson graduated B.S. Biology at De La Salle University, Dasmarinas. He is one of the mentors of Menswear Design and Women’s Wear Design.

Jojie Lloren, known for his minimalist style and exemplary tailoring, is the favored designer of many of the country’s most stylish women.

His fashion career was set in motion when he won the Philippine Young Designers Competition in 1998. That same year, he also won the Concours International des Jeunes Createur de Mode in Paris, France, for which he received a scholarship to the Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. In 2007, Mega Fashion Awards named him Best Couture Fashion Designer.

Lloren was the featured designer of the 2014 Red Charity Gala. The following year, his Red Charity Gala collection was exhibited at the Cultural center of the Philippines, the first show of its kind in the institution.

A former president of the Young Designers Guild and the Fashion and Design Council of the Philippines,he was a mentor on Project Runway Philippines. Lloren is a B.S. Clothing Technology graduate of the University of the Philippines, Diliman. He teaches Fashion Draping and Flat Pattern Drafting.

Joyce Oreña, a B.S. Hotel and Restaurant Administration graduate of the University of the Philippines, started modelling professionally in 1989. Local fashion designers missed Joyce when she moved to Hong Kong and Singapore when she joined Elite Model Management in 1993. Oreña started writing for Metro Magazine in 1998, and has been maintaing a column she writes for Philippine Star.  Joyce launched her  successful fashion accessories brand, Jô, in 2002. For FAB, Oreña teaches Fashion Accessories Design and Fashion Writing.

Jun de Leon finished his Fine Arts degree at the University of Sto. Tomas. He is one of the country’s most awarded and respected—and feared—photographers. A lot of the successful photographers trained under de Leon.  Aside from his wanting to share his knowledge and creativity to the next generation of photographers, Jun readily accepted  FAB’s offer because of the close and personal “mentorship” the school provides.

Lesley Mobo is a Filipino fashion designer. He spent his early years in Philippines before moving to London to study Fashion. Originally trained as a scientist, after gaining a University degree in Biology and a scholarship offer from a prestigious Medical school, he instead turned his hands into fashion design. Graduating from the prestigious Central St Martin’s in 2002 with a First Class B.A. Honours Degree in Fashion, his final year collection titled “Maniac” was co-sponsored by Cerruti allowing him to use luxurious tailoring fabrics from Lanifico Fratelli Cerruti Italy. He also received the Colin Barnes Award for fashion illustration from Central St Martin’s, a nomination in the Chartered Society od Designers Fashion Awards held in the British Natural History Museum, and participated in the ‘Fashion in Motion exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum from which his works were featured in the BBC News. In 2002 he was interviewed by John Galliano for the House of Christian Dior, and has also assisted for Clements Ribeiro and Cacharel. In 2002 he accepted a designer post in the newly established brand Jasmine Di Milo in Harrods , London. Mobo teaches Portfolio Making.

A graduate of De La Salle University, Luis Espiritu is one of the most respected and busiest fashion stylist in the country. Luis has extensive creative director/editor experience in magazine and newspaper publishing, fashion styling for retail advertising, fashion shows, and creative executions. He also writes a weekly column for Philippine Star and is an advocate of Philippine artisanal creations. Espiritu teaches Fashion Styling.

Maco Custodio has a desire to show Filipino identity through his shoes. He wants to be able to answer the question “What is a Filipino shoe?” So he seized this opportunity to marry his chic designs and his approach to shoes “made of Filipino materials , handcrafted by Filipinos.” Maco teaches Fashion Accessory Making and Design.

Melvin Mangada is the Managing Partner and Chief Creative Officer of TBWA Santiago Mangada Puno.

One of the most influential figures in Philippine advertising, Melvin was recruited by Ace Saatchi & Saatchi as the industry’s first art director straight out of college. He eventually led the agency to win the most number of creative awards, prompting the 4A’s Creative Guild of the Philippines to induct him as their first Hall of Fame member. Melvin has brought home metals from Cannes, D&AD, AWARD, Clio, One Show, Media Spikes and AdFest. He was named the Philippines’ Top Executive Creative Director in 2010 and 2011 by Adobo magazine. In 2012, Melvin achieved another first by steering TBWA\SMP to win 4As’ Agency of the Year Award for the fifth time.

He has served as a member of the jury at Cannes, The London International, AdFest, Spikes Asia and New York Festivals. Melvin has taught advertising classes at the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts, his alma mater, and the University of Asia and the Pacific. He is regularly invited to hold forums in advertising and marketing. Melvin is also an art collector, painter and recently, movie producer. He produced Cannes Best Director Brillante Mendoza’s “Thy Womb,” the most internationally awarded Filipino film of 2012. He teaches Brand Promotion.

Fashion stylist Noel Manapat is the man responsible for the images on Bench billboards and ads. A graduate of Commercial Art from Ateneo, he got into the trade when he was editing a magazine and styling its shoots when Bench hired him to style one of its ads. And the rest they say is history. He uses experiences he obtained from his previous work in advertising and publishing as copywriter and editor-in-chief. As a freelance stylist, his clients include celebrities (like KC Concepcion and Dingdong Dantes), major television networks, top fashion designers, and of course Bench. Noel Manapat is also the favorite fashion stylist of the Red Charity Gala.

Noell El Farol is a sculptor who works with various materials. He is also a printmaker, illustrator, and paper maker. He has Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Philippine Women’s University College of Music and Fine Arts. He also studied at Shizuoka University Graduate School of Education and has a diploma in archaeology from the University of the Philippines. He has participated in local and international art exhibitions since 1979. His first solo show was held in Japan after his graduation in 1991. His glassworks were reviewed in World Sculpture News in 2004 and in Craft Arts International magazine in 2000. In 2001 and 2005, he represented the Philippines in the Ceramic and Glass Art Festival at the Aichi Prefecture, Japan. In 2006, he was invited to talk about art and globalization at the Asia Pacific Forum sponsored by Shizuoka Prefectural Government, Japan. Noell’s outdoor stone sculptures can be found in Russia, Korea, Dubai, China, and Vietnam. He has held collaborative art exhibitions with contemporary artists from Japan and Sweden in Manila in 1994 and 2004, respectively. Noell is the Color Theory Workshop mentor.

Patrick Rosas has made the faces of almost all the fashion models and socialites, and did hair and makeup requirements of most major fashion shows in Manila. He authored three books showcasing his creativity and wizardry in makeup, and has been regularly invited to hair and makeup competitions as one of the judges. Patrick handles the Basic Beauty Makeup and Editorial Makeup workshops.

Pidge Reyes is a sculptor, mosaic artist and product designer, with two decades of experience as planner and developer of garments and fabric-related products. Past clients include Russ Berrie Toys, Walker underwear, Everlast Sportswear. He is also a teacher who specializes in garment construction, creative sewing, and hat making. He has exhibited his artworks at several venues, including the Philippine Art Fair in 2014. His sculptures are private commissions by multinational companies and individuals. Reyes has a B.S. Clothing Technology degree from the University of the Philippines.

Raymond Paderna is a university professor and lecturer whose areas of expertise are Business Research, Global Management, Sustainable Business, Family Business Management, and Human Resource Management. He is skilled in the management of family-owned enterprises, having run the human resources, finance, and purchasing divisions of his family’s business (tool-and-die, metal fabrication, travel and tourism, and manufacturing).

Paderna teaches at his alma mater, De La Salle University, Manila, where he finished B.S. Commerce major in Business Management. He earned his MBA major in International Management from European University in Montreux, Switzerland.

Rhett’s professional career started in 1990 when he joined Rustan’s as one of its in-house designers. While there, he conceptualized the Due brand, which eventually became one of the department store’s best sellers for womenswear, especially the slip dresses in luxurious fabrics. After striking out on his own with a made-to-order business, he went back to ready-to-wear with a shop called Wink, which opened in 2001. That’s when he popularized the chiffon poncho in a rainbow of colors, a trend that women of all shapes and sizes wore. The store closed after two years. Rhett’s talent for starting trends continued when he was tapped in 2007 to be creative director of Collezione, an old knitwear brand that wanted to become hip and relevant. Who would have predicted that the Philippine map, which he had embroidered as a logo on a shirt, would become the hottest design and would spawn a thousand and one copycats? He is one of the mentors of Women’s Wear Design workshop.

Rhoda having worked for 28 years as head of the cosmetics and perfumes department of luxe department store Rustan’s; a year for PT Mitra Adiperkasa in Jakarta, which operates department stores and independent brands, as general manager for merchandising for Debenhams; and a year in Hong Kong, where she was director for brand acquisitions for the Asian region. Rhoda teaches Fashion Merchandising.

She worked at a men’s magazine in New York City after college. She eventually became Fashion Editor of Metro magazine then Senior Features Writer of Tatler Philippines. She completed her master’s degree in ESSEC and is now the Paris-based European Correspondent of Tatler Philippines. Publications she has written for include Tatler Hong Kong, Prestige Singapore, ablogcuratedby.com and ashadedviewonfashion.com. She writes regularly for Zoo (Amsterdam) and the broadsheet The Philippine STAR. Ria was the Paris correspondent for the Hermès and Bulgari offices in Singapore and the Philippines. She was recently hired as a copywriter for the Paris office of Louis Vuitton. Ria mentors students of the Fashion Writing workshop.

Rita Nazareno is the creative director of Zacarias 1925. She was an Emmy Award-winning producer in Los Angeles, California when duty called and she returned home to help run the family business: S.C Vizcarra, which makes hand-woven bags often gifted to royalty. Her grandfather started it in 1925.

Zacarias 1925, the brand Nazareno later founded and named for her grandfather, is S.C. Vizcarra’s modern and contemporary sister. Zacarias 1925 makes bags and home accessories, and has shown at Maison et Objet Paris, Pitti Firenze, Super Milan, and Salone et Mobile. Both of Nazareno’s brands champion the traditional Filipino craft of hand weaving. Nazareno took her master’s in Design Management at the London College of Fashion. She handles the Creative Process workshop.

Fashion director Robby Carmona founded Saga in 1995 to be a pioneering events company pushing the creative limits in fashion show production in Manila. In 2009, it evolved to Saga Events, Inc. to become what it is today. Over the years, the company remained to be the most trusted events agency of both local and international brands for fashion, consumer lifestyle and corporate events, launches, milestones and awards night, continuously creating memorable experiences for its audience. Robby is one of the fashion show directors who teach Fashion Show Production.

Dedicated and passionate freelance photographer with over 23 years of extensive experience in custom and specialized photography. Conversant in different types of photography and videography including commercial, fashion, artistic portraits, food, interior design and corporate materials. Competent organizing photo shoots  with in-depth knowledge in the usage of advanced equipment and tools both in film and digital.

Sara Black was born and raised in Manila, Philippines. Upon finishing her Communication Arts degree at Ateneo de Manila University, she jumped into her first job working at a photography studio as an assistant. While steadily learning about the craft, she was pulled on to the other side of the lens as a model — a happy accident to which she credits her better understanding of her subjects, a factor so crucial in all kinds of portraiture.

Steffi Cua after earning a degree in Fashion and Design, took interest in the business side of the fashion industry and decided to make the big move to London to take her postgraduate studies in Buying and Merchandising at the London College of Fashion. After graduating, she worked for a notable wholesale agency  in London, where she managed the sales and distribution of emerging brands in their portfolio, often working closely with some of the trendiest retailers in the industry: Net-a-Porter, Matches Fashion, Selfridges and Le Bon Marche. Steffi teaches Fashion Merchandising.

A graduate of the University of the Philippines, Tweetie De Leon-Gonzalez is a supermodel, an actress, a TV personality, a wife, and a mom. She hosted Project Runway Philippines Seasons 3 and 4. Tweetie now finds her joy in designing jewelry and fashion items with her own brand-TdLG.  Through her unique pieces, she hopes to share her creativity, fashion style, and personal stories inspired by life itself. She teaches Fashion Accessory Making and Design.

Vittorio Barba is an awarded and respected designer as well as a champion equestrian. A Fine Arts graduate of the University of Sto. Tomas, he does not want to be boxed in by fashion rules. Barba owns X by Vittorio, his ready-to-wear line that he says is ” left of center”. He has been a board member and adviser of the Fashion and Design Council if the Philippines. He teaches Menswear and Women’s Wear design.