By Joseph Pimentel
MARCH 28, 2008
Asianjournal.com
Pinoy Fashion Design Guru
LOS ANGELES — FilAm fashion designer namesake. It was a major hit. A year later, Gen
Alan Del Rosario knows all about bringing Art LA awarded him a winner of the prestigious
sexy back. Fresh Faces in fashion for eveningwear.
The Los Angeles-based designer presented Known for his signature style and evening-
his latest fashion collection line at the star- gown-dresses, major retail stores and
studded Mercedes Benz Fashion Week at the specialty boutiques flocked to order Del
Smashbox Studios in Culver City last March 11. Rosario’s clothing line. The orders became so
This is Del Rosario’s third trip to the exclusive overwhelming that it was hard for Del Rosario
fashion event. to keep up with the demands. He eventually
About a hundred clothing buyers, lost some accounts.
spectators and media personnel checked Post 9-11
out his fall collection in Lightbox, a standing- After the September 11 attacks, retailers
room only venue. Among those that attended stopped calling. The economy slumped and
include adult-entertainment star Jenna the demand for his clothing line went downhill.
Jameson, mixed-martial-arts fighter Tito Ortiz, Del Rosario had to close his business.
actress Apollonia Kotero, Fox 11 news anchor “It was a hard time for me,” he said. “I was on
Christine Devine and musician Sean McNabb. top then lost everything.”
They all waited to see the latest design from Wanting to start over, he joined a clothing
the Pinoy’s Fall 2008 collection. company (that he doesn’t want to mention)
Del Rosario’s latest collection, Bow and and revamped their way of business. According
Arrow, is a mixture of fashion from decades to Del Rosario, he turned the small clothing
past. He dressed his runway models his favorite “I love what I do,” he said admitting he only company from a $7 million-a-year business to
look from the ‘50s to the ‘90s. The models sleeps four to five hours a night. “Nothing can a $40 million earner.
sashayed down the catwalk with panache as stop me.” A few years ago, he received a call from an
the crowd rubbernecked left-right-up-and- Starting from Scratch old friend about starting another line. This
down dissecting every aspect of Del Rosario’s Del Rosario arrived from the Philippines in friend, Henry Kim, now financially backs his
clothing design from the fuchsia stockings the late ‘80s to pursue his fashion and design new collection.
and shoes (made popular in the ‘80s) to loose dreams. He studied civil engineering in the Del Rosario is once again rising to the top of
and casual black and white simple day dresses Philippines to fulfill his parents’ wishes. the fashion and design world.
of the ‘60s. Growing up in Cebu, his parents were His gowns have grown so popular that
“I wanted to merge my favorite designs of reluctant for their only son to pursue a career in Hollywood stars like Michelle Pfeiffer, Minnie
those decades and make it relevant now,” said the arts, fashion and design. Since the arts was Driver and Debra Messing wear his private
Del Rosario, whose dresses retail $1,500 to in his heart, he made a deal with his parents collection. His clothing collection can be found
$2,000. “Women now like to buy pieces and — he’ll get a degree in civil engineering first at major retailers such as Nordstrom, Saks Fifth
adapt to the style of today.” but he can pursue whatever he wishes after Avenue, Macys Beverly Hills, Anthropology,
After he presented his red carpet-worthy graduation. Fred Segal and a number of other specialty
designs, the crowd gave him a standing With a Civil Engineering degree as a safety boutiques in Los Angeles and New York, the
ovation. net, he left the Philippines for Los Angeles. At fashion capitals of US.
For Del Rosario, the crowd’s enjoyment of that time, he was a 27-year-old international He said that he designs for the modern
his design is his satisfaction. But for all the student laiming to start over, looking for a woman are simple and sophisticated.
glitz, glamour and blinding flash bulbs, the break in the fashion world. He started by Asked what sexy means to him, he said,
ovation signified more than just applause for studying at The Fashion Institute of Design and “Comfort. Comfort is sexy to me. You have a lot
his latest fashion design collection. Merchandising (FIDM). There, he excelled in of women [who] wear these very nice outfits
It’s been a long road for Del Rosario, who their accelerated program eventually worked but they look stiff like they can’t move.
went from being a civil engineer to one of the his way up to earning a scholarship and being “What’s the use of wearing something if you
most popular fashion designers in the US. awarded the school’s prestigious Bob Macke can’t enjoy it?.”
He had endured rising to the top of his award. He said he’s fortunate to be able to do what
profession winning the California Designer of “I really believed [that] what I was doing was he loves. He advises young designers to follow
the Year award to being a casualty in the cut- right,” said Del Rosario of his decision to go to their heart.
throat world of fashion and design business, US. “Be true to yourself,” he said. “Don’t be
and back again. Despite all the obstacles, After FIDM, he worked for a large company influenced by other people or designers. If you
Del Rosario persevered. What keeps him up learning the ropes and business side of the have a vision, and some other people might not
at night is thinking of the latest fashion and fashion industry. like it, 90 percent of the time you’re right. Believe
design. In 1999, he started his own line carrying his in yourself.” (AJ)
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