Hailed as the Most Promising Fashion Designer of the Year at The Filipino Times Awards 2018, Ryan Pacioles—the Creative Director and Manager at UAE-based fashion brand Atelier Zuhra—has surely carved out his way to greatness. This designer from Leyte has successfully stood out in the crowd as one of the best and most renowned personalities in his field.
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And now, Pacioles has further cemented himself in the industry as he penetrates the international scene. From styling famous local celebrities like Regine Velazquez, Carla Abellana, and Solenn Heusaff, to designing wardrobe for important dignitaries such as Consul General in Dubai Paul Raymund Cortes, he has also successfully crafted masterpieces for some of the known names in Hollywood.
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Some of the Hollywood and international personalities who have worn his masterpieces include actress Eva Longoria and singers Michele Williams of Destiny’s Child and Katherine Jenkins. Beauty pageants like Miss Universe 2012 Olivia Culpo and Miss Universe 2013 Gabriela Isler have also worn his designers.
He has also designed for Spanish actress Mars Saura as well as English supermodel Lady Victoria Hervey.
In addition, Pacioles is also big in Bollywood, having had the pleasure of designing wardrobe for celebrities like Sonam Kapoor, Aliya Bhatt, Aishwarya Rai-Banchan, Kareena Kapoor Basker Esha Gupta.
“The fashion industry is very competitive and difficult to break into. It can be a stressful career path to follow and your work is constantly scrutinized. But for me, it provided a fantastic skill set as well as the opportunity to learn from a variety of talented designers. I learnt how to work an array of design techniques and tools. In fashion, the possibilities are endless. You will be able to easily browse the latest season’s designs and join in on the conversation right there,” he said.
Apart from designing for international celebrities, Pacioles has also participated in some of the biggest fashion events in the world, including Caftan Art Defile Haute Couture show held in Marriott Champs Elysees last March 2019, as well as the J’Autumn Fashion Show by Jessica Minh Anh SS19 at the Sienne River in September 2019.
His works have also made it to Al Arabia Fashion Days Moscow 2018, London Fashion Week at the Covent Garden Garden UK in 2019, Bride Dubai in February 2018 at World Trade Center Dubai, The Bride Abu Dhabi in May 2018 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center, and Fashion Forward in November 2019—where he presented my ‘Once Upon a Dream’ collection which focused on fairies and nymphs with romantic watercolors in Swarovski crystals and his signature acrylic.
“Every event is memorable for me. I could not choose one since every piece and design had different couture stories of their own. Getting success and recognition early in my career has been a blessing, and the story continues. These were God’s plan, and I am very much thankful for the talent that he gave me to create my designs,” Pacioles added.
Despite his success, however, Pacioles still does not think so highly of himself, saying that he is just someone who constantly strived for his dreams.
“As a designer, I’m proud that I chose to be unconventional and found passionate hearts and minds to help me make these things to happen here in Dubai. There’s nothing special about me, I just want to mentor the upcoming designers to believe in their dreams, like what I did,” he said.
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