Ezra Santos spells affluence and class.
His sartorial and illustrious reference is an endearing quest for producing the finest haute couture silhouettes, eternally imbued with luxurious edge.He doesn't aspire to be an avant-gardist at the cutting edge of fashion...he is fashion, himself.
No grand rhetoric, no glib spiel , only the essence of appropriate elegance and utmost mastery to the last detail, that is EZRA SANTOS.. the hallmark of Dubai's Fashion Czar, known for his eponymous label and superlative threads.
Ezra Santos' fashion is only second to quality and " more about quality than fashion", says he.Done in good taste and refined style, he doesn't make extreme fashion statements, innovative yes, but there is a sense of muted elegance and subtle aesthetics in every hemline of his creations.
Undeterred by the risk elements, he has always eschewed the expected "EZRA SANTOS",the normally low-key fashion artist rewinds his design ethos on a grand scale of haute couture, from luxe evening dresses to wedding gowns on his first solo show at the Madinat Jumeirah, April 27, 2010.
Friends, colleagues and the world, say, he is not playing to the gallery - true, but this is the quintessential EZRA SANTOS. The fashionist and a dear friend who over the years, has remained affable, warm and unusually so talented, preferred private spaces on his personal and professional worlds to the glitz of fashion functions and social dos.
His graceful and gentle personality brushes aside notions of eminence and haughtiness in Dubai's fashion firmament.
Ezra's passion for fashion started on his learning years with all unconditonal support from his family, graduated from the Philippine Women’s University with a fine-arts degree in interior design, which shaped the designer he was to become.
Ezra’s rich design and fashion career began in 1986 when he worked at Arabesque, a fashion shop in Philippines and moved to Saudi Arabia in 1987. He learned the Arab culture, the essence of women’s dressing, the fashion tastes of the people and the true meaning of haute couture, applying many of these elements to his works that attributes to his five -year stint in the country.
Ezra returned to Manila in 1992, but didn’t stay long. He was once again offered a job at Arushi, a premier fashion house in Dubai.
After nearly a decade’s stint at Arushi, Ezra opened his own shop in 2004. “It was a calculated career move, and I haven’t looked back since,” he says. He faces stiff competition in this largely cosmopolitan city, but seeks to hone his skills every step of the way. He takes additional fashion courses at different places, including the prestigious Central St. Martins in London.
"I always make designs from my heart and choose inspirations that touch my soul. I do not have ready-made ideas and never launch a project till the urge inspires me" he says.
His love for fashion is already rooted and embedded deep in his blood, for the perfectionist that he is, Santos is undoubtedly one of the top fashion designers in the Middle East. His collection: In the Beginning, took him almost a year, and cannot rest till everything is just right, from designs to cutting and execution ,fabrics to embellishments.
Although he may not throw tantrums like some other artists of repute, he expects things to roll with oiled efficiency in his working mantra. "I am a very disciplined and organized person," he says.Hundreds of working hours had been spent on gowns that are embellished with shimmering stones, intricate embroideries and exquisite beadworks. Highly sought- after- pieces that will wound themselves around royal figures, prima divas and prominent women who flaunt them with a flourish. Ezra Santos definitely understood the true essence of haute couture, hand finished, it is a visual feast and pure art...a luxury that transcends.
Ezra Santos was one of the highlight designers during the Swarovski Crystallized Fashion Event late last year and his penchant to draw traditional dichotomy between women as goddesses and temptress brought him to create and interpret a Brazilian muse with his sober and unbridled creativity.The Mardi Gras diva in multi layers of green,azure blue and yellow gown with Swarovski brillants enthralled spectators and received good reviews.
Ezra's pieces de resistance of his collection will be his attempt to revolutionize the butterfly sleeves, pushing his ability to reinvent, contemporize the national dress-the Philippine Terno, emphasizing the fundamental values of precision, elegance and perfection which elevated its world- class status through the patronage of Madame Imelda Romualdez Marcos, the Philippine's former First Lady.
Through his technical innovation and feat of research albeit unconventional approach to consruction, the skillfully playing risque of the iconic sleeve would surely spark excitement among critics and fans. Will Ezra Santos tackle and accomplish this no mean feat renaissance challenge?...exciting it is.
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