Isabella Fernandez is ready to take her bow in fashion
As a child, Isabella Fernandez’s playground was the boutique of her grandmother Criselda Lontok inside Rustan’s. And now, after studying fashion design in Paris, she comes back to that playground to take a bow. It is now her workplace.
She talks about her fashion journey with smiles—and tears.
“Mamita Criselda would fetch me and my sister Alessandra from school and I would spend afternoons watching her sketch, check fabrics and interact with customers,” recalls Isabella.
Little wonder that Isabella grew up a very creative child with fashion design as an inclination. “I express it in my sketches, my personal styling, even in the way I relate to people.”
I first met the pretty and articulate Isabella during a lifestyle event, and the first question I asked her was: Do you miss your grandmother?
After studying and training in Paris, Isabella returns to her childhood playground to work.
We continued our interview—rather, conversation—at Criselda’s boutique in Rustan’s on Aug. 10. Talk about serendipity. It was the birthday of Criselda, and her son John Fernandez led a reunion with family, some having flown in from the US, to celebrate with Criselda’s staffers. Did Criselda whisper to my ear, and Isabella’s, to come together on the day of her birthday? She passed away Sept. 22, 2021, but we felt that she was there with us that day amid the rustling of diaphanous skirts and brocade blouses. And so our conversation continued:
Criselda was obviously a big factor in your life. What were the best things you learned from her?
ISABELLA FERNANDEZ: There isn’t an aspect of my life that Mamita hasn’t influenced. Some may recognize me as the little girl in Assumption uniform running around the ladies' department of Rustan’s. I was her first granddaughter and I spent most of my childhood with her. She made matching dresses for me and my sister. I learned a lot just by watching her at work. Mamita had a fantastic eye for colors and fabrics. She liked neutrals as well as jewel colors. For fabrics, she liked florals, and would appliqué, mix and match!
Did you ever work together to design any dress?
Oh, yes! We sat down to conceptualize my junior prom gown in blue, which I still have. Later, my sister was able to wear it, too. For my senior ball, I told her I wanted it in hot pink! Lastly, she made my debut gown for my simple celebration. And we agreed I’d be the only one in white, with a lace headdress. My dream is to use that someday as my wedding veil.
Great, you already have a wedding veil. The only thing missing would be your gown and your groom.
No prospective groom yet. I have been too busy studying and working the past years.
Did you take up a fashion-related course in college?
No. While my dream has always been to be a fashion designer, my parents pushed me to take up business. I finished Management Economics in Ateneo. While it was a challenging course, it made me who I am today. Business knowhow makes a designer more well-rounded in the industry. Looking at sales data and trend reporting is so much easier now. There is also the strength of character formed when pushed out of one’s comfort zone. By taking math and theory classes, writing theoretical research papers, balancing costing sheets, I was facing subject matter I had no inclination for—sometimes to the point of frustration and giving up. I believe my biggest takeaway was knowing I was able to do it and do it well. Now I feel equipped to relate to customers, brainstorm ideas for them, work within a team.
After your business course at Ateneo, how did you shift to the business of fashion?
My friends and I who were beach lovers created a swimwear brand called Alba. Then my stepfather Gabriele Boschi asked me to help with the e-commerce of his business, The Rudy Project, during the pandemic. At the same time I took online classes at SOFA. Then I felt I had to step outside Manila, learn business from the ground up as my parents always told me.
And then came the shock: Mamita passed away in 2021.
One day, my ninang Tokie Tantoco Enriquez said: “Nedy (Tantoco) wants to talk to you and see your portfolio.” That was when I told them about my dream to study fashion in Paris. Tita Nedy was so supportive, Rustan’s even helped me with some expenses. That’s when I realized Rustan’s was not just my playground. It was family.
Now tell us what you learned in Paris.
I studied fashion design at École Supérieure des Arts et Techniques de la Mode (ESMOD) for a year. I’m very grateful for this opportunity to develop my technical skills here, under great mentors who pushed my creative boundaries.
I also took an internship with Kevin Germanier, an up-and-coming Swiss designer who specializes in upcycled fashion with out-of-the-box couture techniques.
In Paris, I got to see firsthand where these giant fashion houses primarily inspire and draw inspiration from. It was a fascinating ecosystem of fashion journalism, social media, global tourism and thrift shopping that gave me the bigger picture of what the industry can look like after over a hundred years.
And what do you think about classic styles and current trends in the industry?
A brand’s real style comes from a combination of how we interpret these trends and the designer’s storytelling. What I enjoy on the global stage is observing how creative directors from different backgrounds get to interpret classic house codes: campy John Galliano takes on deconstructivism in Maison Margiela; trained architect Virgil Abloh brought new meaning to masculine in streetwear in Louis Vuitton; Pierpaolo Piccioli modernizing integral Italian design in Valentino.
What brands are you particularly drawn to?
Between my mom (Julie Boschi) and Mamita, names like Chanel and Dior were in my vocabulary from an early age. To this day, I lean towards the ultra-feminine and subtly powerful (styles) of Yves Saint Laurent, Coco Chanel and Christian Dior.
As I got older, I found myself drawn to the architectural, deconstructive style of Japanese designers like Issey Miyake and Yohji Yamamoto. Looking through her personal closet, I realized how avid a fan Mamita was of the same designers, especially Miyake.
What is your perception of the Philippine fashion industry? What suggestions would you have to boost it?
We’ve got a lot of emerging as well as established talents, both here and abroad. I’d love to see an official, seasonal Philippine Fashion Week on the global calendar with the same hype and recognition as other young fashion weeks, like Sydney or Shanghai.
But the baseline would be having more design programs in the country. There is a lot of young talent that needs the network and support that formal design programs can provide with technical skills as well as the space to explore before they have to think commercially.
So now you have started working at Rustan’s. It seems like Rustan’s is bringing in young blood.
Anton Huang, Rustan’s president and CEO, saw the opportunity in children’s wear and gave me the task of designing for Rustanette, a line for girls from four to 10, and Rustan Jr., its male counterpart. I see it as a big responsibility. I am also building high-quality basics for children.
I enjoy working in a team led by Gina Bonoan, our VP for fashion, and Mariel Bartolome, our head for children’s wear. I love talking to the sales staffers who tell me what customers, especially young parents, are looking for. We are ready to launch our holiday line this October.
How supportive have your parents been of your design dream?
My dad, John Fernandez, is so proud that I am following in his mother’s footsteps. As one of the people who knew Criselda best, he reminds me that I am, in my own way, her legacy, but that he supports me as I carve out my own creative path.
He and my mom, Julie Boschi, have been separated for 20 years, but they are good friends, along with my stepfather Gabriele Boschi whom I call Papa. It was he who first suggested I take business first before pursuing fashion. They were all supportive of our passions.
My sister Alessa grew up dancing and building websites and she recently finished her Multimedia Arts degree. Our youngest Lucia is a talented young singer entering junior high.
What are your fondest memories of Criselda?
During nights of sleepover with Mamita, we would pray the rosary every night, kneeling down. She was a very religious person.
When I left for Paris. I packed the novenas and medallions she gave me. I think she reminds me that she’s still around. I always ask her for advice, and I get signs from her.
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And that’s how our interview ends. In tears.