Hand picked and cast to appear as one of the fashion designers on Rihanna’s Styled to Rock, the Style Network’s new fashion competition series, San Diego-based Andre Soriano is now firmly in the spotlight. He has received great exposure and now is able to share his work with a global audience and design for celebrities. Soriano who originates from the Philippines creates everything from luxury casual wear to classic evening wear. Perhaps the most intriguing pieces are his dreamy wedding dresses with 20 foot trains and opulent gowns ladies will just love. His influences span the globe from cities such as New York and Los Angeles to European fashion hubs such as Paris and Milan.
So where does all his creativity and vision come from?
Actually it’s old Hollywood glamour, but Soriano’s look isn’t overtly flashy but interesting, stylish and slightly edgy blending perfectly with the stars of today like Rihanna, Miley Cyrus and Pharrell Williams. His designs which have featured in multiple fashion bibles including Italian Vogue are divine and pieces are created in luxury fabrics such as satin and velvet to chiffon and cashmere. It’s no surprise that at his runway show during LA Fashion Week was an astounding success and fashionistas were left clambering after his striking designs.
TELL US A BIT ABOUT GROWING UP?
I moved to the US at a young age and grew up with a family surrounded by art, theatre and designer clothing. My mum and my three sisters are my muse, they always dressed up and dressed me up as a young child. I have a brother too.
WHEN DID YOU GET A FEEL FOR FASHION?
In High school I was in the Fashion Club and we held a fashion show in which I was part of the production. I made my first collection and very first outfit which was green crushed velvet with a sleeve that’s laced and with a peek-a-boo on the hip area. I sold it for $50 and after that pursued a career in fashion.
ROAD TO SUCCESS
After moving to San Diego in 2006 I applied for a job at Neiman Marcus in Fashion Valley which is one of my favorite stores. They hired me as a sales specialist then eventually I became the couture specialist. Being a designer at heart made me want to get back to designing and meeting more people in San Diego gave me the opportunity to have fashion shows. In 2012 I was given the opportunity to do Fashion Week then the call came regarding Rihanna’s show Styled to Rock, and the rest as they say is history.
CELEBRITY ENCOUNTERS
Through being on the show I’ve had the change to meet Kylie Minogue, Miley Cyrus, Pharrell, Carly Rae Jepson to name but a few. I have been surrounded by these amazing celebrities and it’s been incredible.
FAVORITE DESIGNERS
I have quite a few but I love Valentino, Jean Paul Gautier, Karl Lagerfeld. But it’s not always about the big couturiers. There are a lot of designers here in San Diego that aren’t in the main stream that are amazing I adore designers Dos Caras & Noia by Evelyn.
STYLE DREAMS
I would love to style some of the movie industries biggest stars including Jennifer Lawrence and Charlize Theron. Stars who have the look are most definitely Rihanna and Madonna.
WHAT’S NEXT
There’s a TV network who wants me to do my own show so we’ll see what transpires there. But next big highlights are showing at LA Fashion Week in March (8 to 15th) and showcasing my new collection at a star-studded Academy Awards after-show party hosted by James Cameron and attended by some of Hollywood’s biggest names such as George Clooney, Leonardo Di Caprio with music from Bruno Mars and Justin Timberlake. Everything is just super exciting right now. I am ultra-grateful and blessed that things are happening right now, I say to my team let’s be level headed and continue to do what we do best!
MY OTHER PASSION
When I heard of the destruction Typhoon Haiyan caused in the Philippines at the end of last year I wanted to reach out to help. I didn’t know many Filipinos in the US or in San Diego so I reached out on the internet and discovered filipinoamerican.com. We managed to raise thousands of dollars to help the aftermath of this terrible disaster. An outpour of love is very moving and I was thrilled to be part of this and help people in need.
WORDS OF WISDOM
“To achieve and acquire the utmost highest quality of living and share these successes with the world, especially children with the assurance of positive improvement”.
TELL US A FASCINATING FACT ABOUT YOU
I love to cook. According to my parents I’m the best cook my favorite dish is paella. I love karaoke and singing hits by ol’ blue eyes, Frank Sinatra such as ‘I left my heart in San Francisco’ and ‘New York, New York’.
Discover more about Andre from his website: andresoriano.com and Follow him at Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.
Photo Credits: Punk De Lux Collection: Tim Vechik The Mocking Bird Series: Gail Bowman Head/Body/Logo Shots: Matthias Clamer/Style/NBC Universal
