Michael Leyva
 | The topic of this article may not meet Wikipedia's notability guideline for biographies. (April 2023) |
Michael Leyva | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 22, 1989 |
| Education | University of Santo Tomas |
| Occupation | Fashion Designer |
Michael Leyva is a Filipino fashion designer. [1] He is primarily known for his bridal designs.[2]
Early life and education[edit]
Michael is fifth among six sons to Nanay Merly Leyva.[3]
When he was ten years old, he saw his older brother, Brian Leyva, designing and creating dresses from scratch in the family living room. At times, Brian would ask him to buy sewing materials from Divisoria. However, he never imagined following in Brian's footsteps.[1]
Michael graduated with a Tourism degree from the University of Santo Tomas. He took a fashion design course at Central Saint Martins in London.[1] He also took up fashion courses under Jojie Lloren, a local veteran fashion designer.[4]
His tragic life story was featured in a docuseries, "Maalaala Mo Kaya."[3]
Career[edit]
Michael initially pursued a career as a flight steward. However, he was not happy with his work, so he considered a career in fashion when Brian was mugged and gunned down on March 29, 2010. Brian was considered one of the promising young designers in the 2000s.[1] Brian won first place in a fashion design competition (Young Designers Guild Competition) held in Paris, France, in 2004.[5]
When Brian died, he had three pending projects that Michael took upon himself to complete. Michael was hesitant at first because of his zero background in fashion design.[4] He struggled as a new fashion designer. He used to fit clients at coffee shops because he did not have a shop of his own. Michael's earnings then were only enough to pay for his seamstresses.[5]
Michael staged his 10th anniversary as a fashion designer at the National Museum, the first in the museum's history. He debuted the 50-piece collection, dubbed Hiraya, during the fashion show.[3] The show took eight months to complete.[2]
In 2021, Michael Cinco asked Michael to do a showcase in Dubai as part of Arab Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2021. Michael Leyva was one of the four brands represented on the final night of Arab Fashion Week 2022. He presented his Diamond Collection as part of Dubai's Design District (d3). He brought 30 pieces of dresses from the Philippines.[6][7]
Notable clients[edit]
Michael dressed Kris Aquino for the Hollywood premiere of “Crazy Rich Asians.” He has dressed up other local celebrities, including Anne Curtis, his long-time muse; Pia Wurtzbach; Regine Velasquez, especially for her R3.0 (concert); Vice Ganda; and Andrea Brillantes. Michael is also the preferred designer of former Vice-president Atty. Leni Robredo, and First Lady Liza Marcos.[1]
Advocacy[edit]
In 2020, Michael reassembled his team to create personal protective equipment (PPE) for health workers in the Philippines. When COVID-19 hit, there was a shortage of PPEs in various hospitals in the country. Michael donated at least 3,000 hazmat suits, head covers, and 5,000 washable face masks.[8]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e Grana, Rhia "How fashion designer Michael Leyva kept his slain brother’s dream alive", ANCX, March 28, 2023
- ^ a b Salonga, Bianca "Designer Michael Leyva Raises The Bar For Fashion Shows In The Philippines", Forbes, October 29, 2022
- ^ a b c Lapid, Alyssa "Michael Leyva On His Decade-Long Career And His Ode To His Late Brother, Brian", Vogue Philippines, November 4, 2022
- ^ a b Salazar, Aubreylaine M. " Five things you should know about fashion designer Michael Leyva", PeopleAsia, June 27, 2018
- ^ a b Boutain, Trina Epilepsia "Michael Leyva Celebrates His 10-Year Anniversary At The National Museum", Vogue Philippines, October 11, 2022
- ^ Portee, Allyson "Arab Fashion Week SS22 Shows Come To A Close With A Packed House For The Last Show", Forbes, October 28, 2021
- ^ Sherieff, Syeda Erum "THE DIAMOND THAT LAST FOREVER: MICHAEL LEYVA’S COLLECTION SHINES AT ARAB FASHION WEEK", Victor Magazine, December 17, 2021
- ^ Tomada, Nathalie "Fashion Designer Michael Leyva Creates PPE For Health Workers To Beat COVID-19", One News PH, March 26, 2020