BABY COUTURE: Tea Time at Emma's First Birthday!

What could be cuter than a one-year-old swimming in layers upon layers of ruffled tulle with peony pink flowers to match? The answer is nothing, nothing at all, as is clearly evident from photos of darling Emma during her first birthday bash which she celebrated with her parents Kristjan and Macy Kuurme and their close family and friends.

MOMMY MACY, DAD KRISTJAN, & EMMA. PHOTO BY PERFECT GREY PHOTOGRAPHY.

A little bit of a background is that my parents and Macy's parents have been friends for decades, so I basically grew up with the Pascual family. They're a big loving bunch and even if we aren't linked by blood, they feel like family to me. Plus, they're truly supportive of my fashion career, and since they're always in the US, my shopping addiction as well.

Mommy Macy wanted a super cute dress for her daughter's English tea party themed birthday, and gave me complete artistic freedom to create something for Emma. As always, I wanted this dress to be different than the ones I've done before. But then, there are just so many ways you could make a tutu dress and I've made quite a few. I was stumped for a while, until in a spark of genius (ahem!) I thought of using a ruffle technique usually reserved for wedding gowns. And voila! A true-blue "gigil" moment!

DAD KRISTJAN WITH EMMA; EMMA AND HER TEACUP CAKE. PHOTO BY PERFECT GREY PHOTOGRAPHY.

DAD KRISTJAN, MOM MACY AND EMMA. PHOTO BY PERFECT GREY PHOTOGRAPHY. 

I loved how despite being in such a "couture" piece, Emma's baby-ness was still front and center. I hear a lot of moms and dads sigh at how fast time flies and how quickly their babies grow, so I think it's quite precious to have photos of your little ones acting like tots. She looked quite at home in this sea of pomelo pink and I think having it pool all around her was a truly nice touch.  

BEHIND THE SCENES AT EMMA'S MINI PHOTO SHOOT. PHOTO BY MARILENE PEREZ. 

And also, can someone answer me as to why babies like playing with tissue paper? I don't think she's the only one, but the cute thing is that she "shares" her precious torn-up tissue! 

PHOTO BY MARILENE PEREZ. 

Actually, I know I just said there's nothing cuter than a baby in a sea of tulle. But there is actually something better, which is ANOTHER cute baby! Say hello to Emma's cousin Isabel, who was seven months old at this time and equally adorable. I also made a nice party dress for her to wear, with embroidered lace, a rhinestone belt, and a tiny rose. Darling Isabel is also my one and only inaanak and truly a joy to her parents May and Rico, and her entire family as well. 

BABY ISABEL WITH DAD RICO, MOM MAY AND COUSIN ROBIN. PHOTO BY MARILENE PEREZ. 

BABY ISABEL AND DAD RICO. PHOTO BY MARILENE PEREZ. 

A LITTLE WALDROBE MALFUNCTION BUT STILL SO CUTE. PHOTO BY MARILENE PEREZ. 

And here are their dresses side by side. They're both quite tiny, and while I'm working on the garments I sometimes get worried at how small the dresses are. Childrenswear was not my major in fashion school so I am learning this as I go along. But when we try them on the babies, they fit just right! So I guess having a waistline of 18 and an armhole of 9 is totally normal! 

I am truly honoured to have been able to be a part of this intimate family celebration and enjoy seeing their family grow bigger and bigger with each new baby! 

THREE GENERATIONS IN ONE LOVELY PIC. PHOTO BY MARILENE PEREZ. 

I always enjoy making baby dresses as I am able to bombard one tiny garment with all the cuteness I can muster. Hopefully someday when the girls look at their baby pictures, they would be quite pleased as well! 

BRIDAL BLISS: Seaside Splendour at Simon & Maja's Boracay Wedding

SIMON & MAJA MANNION. PHOTO BY MAYAD STUDIOS. 

There's a certain dreaminess inherent in beach weddings – the gentle sunrise that colours the sky as you wake up to one of the biggest days of your life, the soft breeze that gives your hair a little flutter, the sound of the lapping waves mimicking the beat of your ecstatic heart. Such sparkling, fairytale romance was what defined the wedding of Maja and Simon Mannion held in the white sands of Boracay. I was truly fortunate to be able to work with the gorgeous bride in creating her seashell inspired wedding gown, and become a part of her intimate beachside soiree. 

THE WEDDING GOWN AND MAJA MANNION AS SHE WALKED TO THE ALTAR. PHOTO BY MAYAD STUDIOS. 

Maja wanted a gown that had intricate beading and a couture feel befitting any stylish bride, but  was also carefree and sweet to pay homage to the rustic beauty of her surroundings. Given her vision, I wanted to create a gown that had both delicate details but also an airy lightness that would allow Maja to have lots of fun with her husband and her family during their intimate beach affair. I do think the creamy, beaded confection we made did justice to their love affair and enhanced Maja's radiant glow. 

MAJA'S BEAUTIFUL BOUQUET WAS MADE BY HER BRIDESMAIDS (FLOWERS FROM FLORISTA). PHOTO BY MAYAD STUDIOS. 

MAJA MANNION. PHOTO BY MAYAD STUDIOS. 

MAJA & HER BRIDESMAIDS IN DRESSES FROM EVER NEW. PHOTO BY MAYAD STUDIOS. 

MAJA & SIMON. PHOTO BY MAYAD STUDIOS. 

The gown was composed of a strapless mini with intricate tulle ruching in the bodice giving the garment a lovely base texture with which to work our beaded magic. It was a bit of trial and error at first to get the draping perfect, but I think the finished design was quite flattering. Three-dimensional embroidered flowers and leaves were added in trailing fashion to give it a fairytale feel. The ivory blooms were further enhanced by the sprinkling of crystals and beads, and of course freshwater pearls which was the perfect nod to her beachside bash, and also a great homage to our Filipino culture. Both the bride and the groom had been based in Doha, Qatar so I thought it was a lovely touch to her gown. 

I thought the mix of textures gave the gown a found-object feel, like an artist creating compositions from the beautiful randomness of nature. I love how the fine pleated tulle, was the perfect foil to the beaded flowers, giving the garment a truly graceful finish. 

And for the big reveal, we added an organdy petal skirt to finish off her look. The ball gown skirt has layers of sheer fabric draped over each other to give it the fluttery feel and add a natural slit that would open up softly when the bride walked. Why else would one have a beach wedding other than to twirl around in a fluttery gown? I also thought the layers and the warm shade was reminiscent of seashells, which I thought was a lovely addition to the concept of her gown. 

Since Maja was based in Qatar, we had limited fittings while working on her gown. But I do think we pulled it off beautifully and were blessed that Maja loved her gown. 

MAJA'S GOWN WAS MADE FOR FLYING! PHOTO BY MAYAD STUDIOS. 

We also made a matching lace robe for the bride as she prepared for her walk down the aisle. The swirling details of the lace I thought was a great match to her wedding gown. 

MAJA IN HER MARIANE PEREZ WEDDING GOWN AND LACE BRIDAL ROBE. PHOTO BY MAYAD STUDIOS. 

Her wedding accessories were also made with her gown in mind, and we enjoyed creating an embellished veil, ring and arrhae pillows, and also a shimmery bridal clutch. I always love mixing textures and creating dimension with my work, even with little crafty details!

And if you notice, Maja's gown for her ceremony, with its off-shoulder lace sleeves and ball gown skirt, is going to be a little different for the after party. When the sun sets and the music starts, Maja's gown converts into a strapless number with a fifties-inspired circle skirt all the better to dance the night away with her beau! 

MAJA AND SIMON DURING THE CEREMONY. PHOTO BY MAYAD STUDIOS. 

MAJA & SIMON DANCING THE NIGHT AWAY. PHOTO BY MAYAD STUDIOS. 

Looking at these photos of our bride and her husband beaming as they pledged to spend their life together truly makes my job as a fashion designer meaningful. I am honoured to be entrusted with such an important once-in-a-lifetime gown, and am privileged to be part of so much love! Thanks Maja and Simon and wishing you continued prosperity!

DESIGN DOSSIER: Goddess Goals on Solenn Heussaff for FHM August 2016

With an innate sultriness, a disarming charm, and of course the newlywed glow, Solenn Heussaff is easily one of the most alluring women in the Philippines. The Filipina-French beauty has long been making people fall for her sexy-kooky persona, and self-effacing humour. So when I was contacted by Maita Baello & Melville Sy of Qurator Studio to make a dress or two for her to wear to FHM's August cover shoot, and they told me the gorgeous concept, I was beyond ecstatic. Even if "sexy" wasn't really my go-to look, I knew I had to be a part of the dreamy, Renaissance-inspired shoot.



There's always a thin line between something being sexy and a little pushing the envelope, and just a bit too much. And yet with Solenn giving the style time carte blanche to go crazy, I knew we hand to make the dress a little bit scandalous. Hence, a down-to-there plunge held precariously together by slivers of a strap, finished off with a diaphanous tulle skirt. In creating the bodice, I wanted to make the tulle haphazardly drape over the bosom, be a little messy, but still flatter her gorgeous figure.

As a designer, I'm always excited about the process, and love sharing #BehindtheSeams commentary on my blog. I think it's important to always have conversations about fashion and its inspirations. For more pics & tidbits head on to marianeperez.blogspot.com (link in bio) !!! ✨👸🏻🖼 #MarianePerez #SolennHeussaff #FHM

A photo posted by Mariane 🦄 ✨ (@marianeperez) on Aug 12, 2016 at 3:18am PDT

Since the concept of the shoot were Renaissance paintings, I wanted to give the garment an effortless feel, with a certain diaphanous softness. I couldn't help but be inspired by The Birth of Venus by Botticelli, the eerie romanticism of John William Waterhouse, and the goddesses of John William Godward. At first glance, this photograph of of a woman caught lounging at a private moment truly feels right at home with these rich paintings. The mood is intimate, romantic, and artistic, with Solenn altogether fearless and vulnerable. Truly a visionary concept from FHM and the entire team, of Maita and Melville of Qurator, assisted by Sharmaine Tanael & Alexine Castillo,  photographer Mark Nicdao, makeup artist Robbie Pinera, and hairstylist RJ dela Cruz.

I couldn't be more pleased at how these photos turned out and am truly excited to be able to flex my design muscles and come up with more creative projects! Some my usual brand of feminine, and some a little bit over the edge and out of the box, which I think every artist ought to do once in a while.

LIT LOVE: Love, Style, Life by Garance Dore

I was drawn to Garance Dore's blog because of the illustrations – those stylish girls with insouciant eyes and outfits to salivate over, rendered in inky lines and dabs of color. Being a fashion designer I've always wanted to illustrate like that, with a studied randomness punctuated with bold strokes, and finished off with the most glorious handwriting. I wish my penmanship was as French as that. I thought of Garance as a modern day David Downton, with girls looking like they just stepped out of their brownstones and onto their fabulous cafe lives on the East Village.

Her eye for style was evident in the street style snaps she posted, the luxury hidden in the undercurrent of neutral ensembles punctuated with the softest, most glorious sunlight. The girls on her blog looked like real girls with jobs, who smiled, had fun, had flaws, but were still for all intents and purposes, utterly divine. She espoused to me an aesthetic that was carefully curated and impossibly chic, but never too contrived. There was always that bit of being excited about things like a kid, but also approaching life with the clarity of a grown up. #Adulting at its finest, if you ask me.

The book itself is a great amalgamation of all the things we love about the blog. Equal parts fashion, beauty, lifestyle and love. She's a natural storyteller, able to go from lengthy narrations to snippets of thought. I myself didnt read the book in one sitting, it just felt natural leafing through it, and then delving into those that I was drawn too. Now with a bit of extra time on my hands, I've finally finished it, well most of it at least!



I loved how she explored the concept of personal style –of hers, and finding your own– in the book. It is what I'd call laid-back elegance, mixing Parisian femininity with New York downtown cool. Instead of focusing on seasonal trends, she encouraged women to build wardrobes, adding to it a few interesting pieces every season. Appreciating and cherishing quality, but being able to snap up the hottest pieces from Zara, you know those pieces that don't really quite look like they're from Zara. It's about knowing yourself and cultivating your own brand of elegance. Like any style book, there were a lot of bitsy tips like her go-to style essentials. But she also goes quite in depth in some parts, like when she thoroughly dissected the tuxedo, complete with sound bytes from Loulou de la Falaise and amusing anecdotes.

And on the topic of anecdotes, the one about the clutch was my favourite. She narrates a story of how on a night out in Paris, she gushes over a friend's buttery Hermes clutch. How very American of her, she thought. Her friend quiets her fashion hysteria with French nonchalance of the "this old thing" variety, and proceeds to be utterly composed. Well, until someone spills dark liquid on the clutch and no amount of composure could handle wine on white Hermes.

Right now my day bag was the first one I ever bought, with my fashion editor's salary all saved up. It's a gray YSL Downtown bag I got in Hong Kong, and christened Pebbles Perez (because it's gray, duh). Yes, at that time it was still YSL and not Saint Laurent. I loved that bag to death, but when I first got it, I loved it too much. It even got it's own chair in my room. Now, many years later, I don't feel like I have to be so precious with it, not that I care less, but because it was having no fun all stuck in my closet. One day my friend and I decided to do random things around town, and after I got my nails done, it rained. The umbrella was hopelessly stuck as I tried getting into the car, and my bag was getting a bit wet. He, a boy who is probably used to girls with designer bags, exclaimed, "Your bag!". But I wasn't too worried. I thought we should control our things, and not them controlling us from having a bit of spontaneus fun. That said, I would love a Chanel Boy bag, something from Anya Hindmarch with the emojis, and something impractical and blush pink wouldn't hurt either. Those, for a few months, might travel with its own dust bag.

On the topic of beauty, she writes, "Whatever is given to you on the day you're born, you are the one who decides who you will become, ever day. Beauty grows as we grow into ourselves." Women nowadays face extreme pressure to look a certain way – from the people we date, our jobs, our families and friends, and most often ourselves. But the concept of beauty should come from within. It's finding your own place in the world albeit with a lot of missteps and too pink blush or excessive glittering. Beauty is enhancing what you have, and finding the fun in experimentation. Whatever we define as beauty for ourselves should serve to liberate us and allow us to face the challenges of life head on. It's okay to be a bit natural with our looks, I suppose, but never lazy. Never lazy. The lazy girl never gets the guy.

Of course, a short tete a tete with my spirit animal Drew Barrymore, can't hurt either. There's also stuff in here for fans of girl boss Diane von Furstenburg, peak Parisienne Emmanuelle Alt, and forever cool girl Jenna Lyons.

Being the quintessential insider, it is such a treat to see the world though Garance's eyes. She's quite open about her journey, how in 2007 she was a freelancer who didn't quite have it all together, and how it gradually evolved to the front row life and powerhouse empire she has today. For bloggers, artists, entrepreneurs, or anyone involved in any form or measure of a start-up, it's seemingly never okay to talk about the negatives. We seem to all have a stiff upper lip when speaking about the journey, glossing over the struggles, and only talking about the successes when they come. Having someone of her caliber be so candid about her journey is a blessing and an inspiration. And the wonderful thing is that despite her success, she's always spoken with the same tone of voice – friendly, observant, and with her trademark self-deprecating humour. Her blog may be prettier now and professionally managed, but it's still got the same heart as when it first began.

Also, I do think she got to the top the good girl way. By working tenaciously hard, being sweet, having an astute point of view that was both confident and vulnerable, and also maybe being lucky and being at the right place at the right time. She's a big fan of the thank you note, which I think is quite classy. If we could all practice little bits of kindness and politeness along the way, I think it will all pay off in the end. Take it from the most helpful Editorial Assistant (that's Emily for you if you wanna go by Devil Wears Prada speak), it pays to be remembered as nice! If not just for the fact of actually being thought of as nice in this dog-eat-dog fashion world.

The same honesty she has talking about her rise to the top, she also applies to her love life. And as she narrates the lessons her dalliances have inevitably taught her, she speaks to all of us, for these are our stories as well. In bits and pieces we can all be broken and healed together, and that I feel is what life is all about.

I find the book equal parts eye candy and epiphany. Garance has a way of laying down #truths like no other. Social media has turned us fashion folk into perfectly edited versions of ourselves that it's nice to hear from another human experiencing life as it's meant to be, bumpy but exceedingly and stylishly beautiful.

P.S. I met her once at a talk she gave at the Fashion Institute of Technology for our Faces & Places in fashion class. I am super sure we have a photo together, but for the life of me I cannot find it. Let's settle for this autograph she gave me which I have on my NYC themed planner. Sorry I couldn't help plugging this giddy moment in!

Being the fan girl that i am, got Garance Dore's autograph. Great way to binyag my new planner!!!!!

A photo posted by Mariane (@marianeperez) on Feb 8, 2012 at 12:24pm PST

DESIGN DOSSIER: Blush Pink Beauty

There is a certain old world elegance inherent in a ball gown — a statement making confection that compels one to glide onto the dance floor with the most lilting of steps like a debutante of seasons past. And then there is the promise of magic and make believe, of transforming into a fairy tale princess even for just a brief night. Such I think is the beauty and power of fashion, it gives us the power to dream and become whoever we want to be. Girl power at its finest, if I may be so bold as to say. 

Such was the ethos behind this pale pink gown for seventeen-year-old beauty Sofia Lopez for her senior prom. Even at first glance, she exuded a mix of teenage girly and fresh, sporty energy. For the Poveda Ball, she wanted a feminine gown that was fluffy, but not too much, and had just a touch of sparkle . We decided on a graceful an off-shoulder gown with a sweeping skirt and train, and a low back accented with a statement bow. 

I couldn't help but be inspired by the vintage gowns that figured prominently in the work of society photographer Cecil Beaton, who was a regular contributor to Vogue and Vanity Fair in the '40s and '50s. In fact, one of my favourite fashion images was that of a tabluea of models all resplendent in satin gowns by Charles James. The pastel hue, the grand silhouette, and the playful ribbon were all in homage to that uncomplicated and most feminine era of haute couture. 

The first fitting we had was just of the toile. The open neckline and deep back required a bit of contouring to get it to lay flat on the body. The sleeves which angled down also had to be tested, and revised to get it to drape properly but also with a bit of insouciance. Lastly, we draped the bow to make it look like it was oh-so-casually tied up behind but nonetheless retained its shape and gave the dress a bit of drama.

For the beaded belt we created for her a shimmering floral motif, with a bit of dimension to accent her gown and her trim waist. We tested a few samples but ultimately decided on a more elaborate version. 

In this day and age of normcore and fast fashion, rarely do we find the chance to really dress up. So when the occasion does pop up when we can don a twirl-worthy frock, then I think we should! Embrace your inner Cinderella, take risks with fashion, wear something you think might be a bit too much (but of course, really isn't because we checked with all our friends and they're all dressing up too). Life is but for making memories, and we can do it whilst being pretty, why in the world not?