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Fashion designer Leo Almodal takes a bow at his recent fashion show at Okada Manila. Handout

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Jude Cartalaba

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1719560925341leo-1.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Fashion designer Leo Almodal takes a bow at his recent fashion show at Okada Manila. Handout"/>Fashion designer <span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Leo Almodal takes a bow at his recent fashion show at Okada Manila. Handout</div>MANILA -- When he was 6 years old, Leo Almodal already began to show his inclination to drawing figures.&quot;It was the image of Mama Mary that I first copied by drawing it. I took it off the wall the religious icon and started sketching it,&quot; he recalled.Apart from the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Disney princesses featured on a milk brand&#x27;s label were also his muses.&quot;I drew Cinderella, Snow White, and many princesses who got married at the end of their respective stories,&quot; he said.&quot;At that time, I always envisioned a woman dressed in her wedding gown like in a royal matrimonial ceremony.&quot;<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1719560950961leo-2.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Arci Muñoz at Leo Almodal&#x27;s recent fashion show at Okada Manila. Handout"/>Arci Muñoz at <span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Leo Almodal&#x27;s recent fashion show at Okada Manila. Handout </div>It was already his intention to fulfill any woman&#x27;s heart&#x27;s desire to have her dream wedding come true.<div>Not a bed of roses at first</div>Unlike his blossoming floral-inspired creations, his journey as a designer wasn&#x27;t a bed of roses when he started.Almodal&#x27;s parents were opposed to the idea of him chasing his dream as a designer. His late father was a tailor, and his mother was a dressmaker, and they didn&#x27;t want him to end up like them and not get a profitable livelihood.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1719560974305leo-3.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Yllana Marie Aduana at Leo Almodal&#x27;s recent fashion show at Okada Manila. Handout"/>Yllana Marie Aduana at <span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Leo Almodal&#x27;s recent fashion show at Okada Manila. Handout</div>Instead, Almodal pursued an Elementary Education degree and majored in English, and athough he graduated with honors (magna cum laude) in early 2000, he had difficulty getting a teaching post.But it was still fate that brought him to where he is now. After desperately seeking a job, he landed work at a bridal couture shop in SM Cebu.&quot;I only stayed at that job for three months. I got hired by Arab employers and flew to Bahrain to work as a designer,&quot; said Almodal, who has been in the business for 23 years.<div>Couture business</div>Today, his creations range from P150,000 and above for couture gowns and P250,000 and above for bridal gowns.&quot;The rates depend on the style, the cut, and the intricacies of the work needed,&quot; explained Almodal, who was largely self-taught and didn&#x27;t have any formal schooling in fashion design.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1719560998044leo-4.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Pauline Amelinckx at Leo Almodal&#x27;s recent fashion show at Okada Manila. Handout"/>Pauline Amelinckx at <span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Leo Almodal&#x27;s recent fashion show at Okada Manila. Handout</div>Last year, most of his clients (90%) came from the US, Africa, Europe, and some parts of Asia.&quot;But this year, 80% are from abroad. The rest of the 20% is from the Philippines. I&#x27;m looking forward to growing my market in the country, too,&quot; he said.His surname is derived from the Spanish word &quot;almudal,&quot; which refers to a instrument used for measuring grains and other commodities. As a fashion designer, Almodal is measured by what he can offer through his creations.His latest solo fashion show, held last June 22 at Okada Manila, serves as his invitation for the public to peek into his world.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1719561019242leo-5.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Maureen Montagne at Leo Almodal&#x27;s recent fashion show at Okada Manila. Handout"/>Maureen Montagne at <span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Leo Almodal&#x27;s recent fashion show at Okada Manila. Handout</div>His two-hour show had three segments. First was the SUN collection, where he wanted to provide light to the people during the pandemic. It&#x27;s efforts to inspire fellow Filipinos to fight the good fight amid the darkness that humans went through at the time.  Next is the LASANG (FOREST) collection, where he showcased flora and fauna. The multi-colored collection reflected his commitment to his advocacy of loving nature. His designs are reminders to take care of Mother Earth -- for the next generation&#x27;s sakeThe FINAL collection is an inspiration from Snow White. Each piece in the collection dramatized the mystery of the princess&#x27;s life. He encapsulated the story&#x27;s highlights in all his elegant masterpieces.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1719561040770leo-6.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Rina Maier at Leo Almodal&#x27;s recent fashion show at Okada Manila. Handout"/>Rina Maier at <span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Leo Almodal&#x27;s recent fashion show at Okada Manila. Handout</div>Meanwhile, in his atelier, he has 30 seamstresses who help him put together all the breathtaking and mind-boggling gowns. It&#x27;s a full circle for the designer.&quot;I have continued the legacy of my parents and empowered women -- both my clients and my dressmakers,&quot; Almodal said with a smile.<div> </div>

Unlike his blossoming floral-inspired creations, Leo Almodal's journey as a designer wasn't a bed of roses when he started.

Unlike his blossoming floral-inspired creations, Leo Almodal's journey as a designer wasn't a bed of roses when he started.

Fashion designer Leo Almodal seeks to grow PH market

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Fashion designer Leo Almodal seeks to grow PH market

Jude Cartalaba

Published Jun 28, 2024 03:51 PM PHT

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