Gail Cowper Charm meets chic

MANILA, Philippines -  With her post as associate PR manager of Rustan’s Group of Companies’ Stores Specialists Inc., which carries fashion brands ranging from Aeropostale and Zara to Gucci, one would expect Gail Cowper to come into the photo shoot in nothing less than a fashionable ensemble. The pretty professional did not disappoint, as she wore a lovely skirt and button-down blouse combo accentuated by the brightest of smiles.

Gail’s fascination with fashion began at an early age. Her parents Bill and Liz owned a factory that made clothes, which were exported to US-based stores like Kids “R” Us and Walmart. Because of that, she was never short of nice, new clothes growing up. “I was fond of visiting my dad in the office, so I was exposed to the actual process of producing a single piece of clothing at a young age. I remember some summer days when I would just hang out at the office and help cut loose thread on clothes in exchange for a promised merienda,” shares Gail.

Gail describes her personal style as one that sticks to the classics, and by that she means that some of the pieces she wears are no longer in production. Her prized possessions are her mom’s designer items, mostly Gucci shoes and belts.

“Like most girls, I would play dress up and put on my mom’s makeup and shoes during lazy afternoons. As I grew up, I was able to appreciate a lot of my mom’s bags and leather goods that have kept their quality even after time. To this day, I use a number of items that my mom used to wear back when she was in college,” says Gail, who finished Interdisciplinary Studies with minors in Management and Communications at the Ateneo de Manila University. She also took a short course in Journalism at the New York University.

As someone who is inspired by the classics, Gail invests in quality pieces that never go out of style though she admits she also appreciates the trends. Her closet consists mainly of A-line skirts, skinny jeans, tapered pants, button-down shirts and shoes — lots and lots of shoes. “I do a yearly closet-cleaning where I take everything out. I counted about a hundred pairs, including slippers and sandals,” Gail says shyly, admitting to a guilty pleasure.  

One can only imagine how Gail’s closet looks like as she reveals her fancy for clothes. Her wardrobe is sorted according to style and color. She says, this way, it takes her only five to 10 minutes to decide what to wear with the considerations being the weather and the activities for the day.

“I find that looking good helps me with my confidence. With my work — aside from preparing press releases to arranging interviews with personalities such as Michael Kors — there are instances where I go to impromptu meetings, so at least I am confident that I am at my best,” she reveals.

Gail is set to wed this November, and one of her non-negotiables with fiancé Armand Castro is closet space. “He understands me,” she smiles and points to the pastel flats she is wearing to the shoot. “These were a gift from him.”

Photography by MAU AGUASIN • Creative direction by LUIS ESPIRITU JR. • Makeup by BABA PARMA • Hairstyling by RONNIE TUMAMAK for Creations by Lourd Ramos

• Styling by TARA SUBALDO • Jewelry by MILADAY JEWELS • Pink ball gown by RHETT EALA and pink dress by PIA GLADYS PEREY available at Rustan’s