MANILA, Philippines – It was at the last minute that designer Albert Andrada was asked to design one of the most memorable gowns in recent Philippine history. The royal blue mermaid dress, which serendipitously matched the Miss Universe 2015 crown, was worn by Miss Philippines Pia Wurtzbach when she lost, won, cried and celebrated all in under 10 minutes of air-time, during the pageant.
“The inspiration for the gown is the Philippine sea. Blue also stands for royalty, which is fitting for a Miss Universe because she’s Queen,” Andrada explained at the reception of his La Prospérité Chinoise show at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza, which he has been partners with for the past three years. “It was only a coincidence that it matched the crown. We didn’t consider that. What Pia really wanted was a royal blue gown. I was told that I was going to design the gown only on Dec. 9. Originally, I was only going to design the her National Costume, called ‘The Pearl of the Orient.’ So we were really working day and night.” Andrada shared that his Greenbelt 5 shop has turned into something of a museum — with fans even walking in, touching the dress, even making the sign of the cross.
His latest collection for Chinese New Year is inspired by the different Chinese festivals, as well as his many travels. “I came up with 13 creations to celebrate Chinese New Year at Sofitel. Colors are gold, red, rose quartz, which is Color of the Year — but I think to Filipinos, Color of the Year is royal blue,” he joked.
The collection was presented at Spiral in Sofitel Philippine Plaza, celebrating Andrada’s designs as well as special dishes by Spiral’s Chinese culinary artisan, Chef Michael Tai. The event was sponsored by Shu Uemura, Kiehl’s and Jewelmer.
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Albert Andrada Luxewear is located at the second floor of Greenbelt 5. For information, call Sofitel Philippine Plaza at (632) 551-5555. For restaurant reservations, call (632) 823-6988 or email h6308-fb12@sofitel.com and h6308@sofitel.com. Photos by JOEY MENDOZA