Indulge

I was 12 when I first saw Breakfast at Tiffany’s. I did not appreciate the story much then, not seeing the intrigue of a scholarly gigolo, scatterbrained party girl or that genius tub that turned into a couch. Yet, even at a young age, swathed in the undeniable chic (or rather ick) of my patchwork denim jumper, through Audrey I knew I was made for couture.

I begged my mom for a shift dress and a trench, like Audrey’s in the movie. I cleaned her room and fetched her diet cola every day until she relented. I had my first fitting at Inno Sotto, I had my first shift and trench dress made. It was in champagne silk and I was over the moon with my new treasures with nowhere to go unfortunately. I wore the shift to my first illegal date, looking severely overdressed but feeling every bit like Holly Golightly at Racks. Eating ribs in my Inno — it certainly predicted where I was headed.

Fast forward six years later, now that I’m at the sophisticated age of 18 (OK fine, I’m lying but I’ve decided to keep my age a private matter), I still think fondly of that time. I was so excited when Inno asked me about fabrics and colors. I felt my decisions mattered to him; it was all so very overwhelming. To this day, he still astounds.

The metamorphosis of his work — from glamour girl confections to the more adventurous and fluid dresses he now makes (think Bea Valdes in her silver concoction) — never fails to surprise. All young designers look up to him. Not with the cross-eyed veneration where image surpasses talent. They look up to him because of how he has handled success and created designs that bear his signature. Amazingly down-to-earth and still romantic, Inno continues to enchant.

With his sudden change in direction,  the only route he insists on taking,  Inno explains, "Glamour still exists today, but it sleeps for now. Chic and attitude are what we really have today." This would explain why his new ad campaign for Ism, the French-made fragrance he makes for Rustan’s, has all the visions of Harring and Sprouse. "It is the whim, the taste, the pulse of the moment," he adds.

"We appreciate and see what is and what is no longer. What we have around us, and what is absent with others," he enthuses while explaining his philosophy.

For Inno, design is an emotional process. He finds much inspiration in "the intimacy, passion and romance of handwritten letters."

Almost too obviously, his heart is on the sleeves of the clothes he makes. That’s what makes whatever bears Inno’s stamp the ultimate luxury. "The ultimate indulgence in any concept or form is something that inspires and pleases the senses." With that said, he gives you not only a dress but a piece of himself too.