Fashion

Nelly Egle Gives Us a Glimpse of Her Chic Closet

With an innate ability to find what works together, the well-traveled artist brings culture and personality into her wardrobe for a style statement she describes as chic and sexy.

If the eyes are the windows to someone’s soul, then walking into their closet must be the introduction to their personal style statements. It certainly true for Nelly Egle—as she gives us a tour of her closet, it’s clear that it’s the epitome of the different facets of her personality. Her current seaside lifestyle (and husband Rene’s position as the general manager of Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa) is represented by flowing dresses in wispy fabrics and vivid tropical prints. Asian-inspired details, like the beautifully crafted armoire in one corner or the carved detailing of the long table for her accessories, are subtle odes to her Chinese heritage. And throughout the room (and the rest of the home, in fact) are carefully selected paintings that show her affinity for art.

“That’s not the piece I really wanted here, though,” she tells us, pointing to a framed painting of a woman seated daintily with her legs crossed in front of her. “I painted it,” she tells me, and thanks us graciously when we compliment the piece. “It’s nice, but I don’t think it’s the best match for the room.”

With the eye and sensibilities of an artist, Nelly just has an innate flair for putting things together. Her closet, a converted guest bedroom redecorated with clothing racks and shelves, are full of stylish tableaus that show this off.

In the middle of the room is a long table for her accessories. “I think I bought this more to display in the home than for me to use,” she laughs, admiring the Neil Felipp Oceania minaudiere in the middle. On both ends are an array of her accessories—necklaces and rings arranged on a colorful silk scarf on one, and earrings housed in clear acrylic cases in the other. Below it are a row of her shoes, all somehow a work of art in themselves for their sculptural forms.

As for her clothes, the range goes from bold prints to muted colors, from sleek silhouettes to unapologetic ruffles. One such ruffled piece is a J. Crew skirt that she was excited to put on. “This is my new favorite piece. They’re not really a super luxurious brand, but the details are so good,” she points out the ruffles on the skirt. “It’s nice for the beach, or for an event. What do you call it? Chic and sexy.”

Of course, a lot of the clothes have also been amassed from her and her husband’s travels and residencies around the world. One such piece is the a body-hugging wrap dress with a Pucci-esque print that she had gotten made for her while in Italy. “I used it a lot when we were in the Maldives,” she says, referring to Rene’s tenure at Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort & Spa. “It’s great for the beach, so it’s perfect for Mactan too.”

For Nelly, though, her favorite piece in the closet is one that’s more than 20 years old. “This is my oldest piece in the closet. It shows my nationality,” she says, pulling out a deep blue qipao or cheongsam from the rack. “It’s handmade, and all the Chinese girls have to have one. But now, it doesn’t fit anymore,” she laughs.

Fashion

Behind the Scenes: Backstage at The Philippine Terno Fashion Show 2025 in the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino

By Doro Barandino

What most people attending fashion events don’t realize is that the actual battleground happens backstage. Here’s a peek at the real magic that transpires among fashion designers, stylists, hair and make-up artists, dressers, and ramp models hours before showtime. In the recent Philippine Terno fashion show, a whole team of creatives in the fashion industry produced the most extravagant and whimsical recreation of the celebrated garment in the country’s cultural landscape.

Fabric manipulation simulating bird feathers are the main features in Cary Santiago’s ternos.

Mesh-like sculptural head accessories added to the visual impact of the designer’s collection.

Jun Escario’s relaxed barong tunics are characterized by its fine embroidery on pinya fabric

The modern kimona reinterpreted by Jun Escario.

Edwin Ao’s take on the Barong is both linear and minimalist.

Edwin Ao ‘s modern version of the traditional baro at saya has architectural folds as its signature look.

The classic terno has draping and printed silk fabric on Joji Lloren’s master class look

Joey Samson known for avant-garde designs has assorted neckties as an accessory to complement the color black.

Protacio re-shaped the silhouette of the traditional barong Tagalog.

Unfinished stitches of emroidery leaving loose threads may be unintentional but it adds an eye catching design element to Edwin Ao’s terno.

Fashion

Salt, Silk, and Stardom: Ten Reasons Celebrities Wear Amato by Furne One

by Oj Hofer

At Take Me to the Sea, Amato by Furne One unveiled more than a resort/bridal collection — he revealed a world suspended between tides and starlight, where salt, silk, and stardom stitched themselves into every look.

Held at The Hall of the Crimson Resort and Spa Mactan, the show was a transportive experience. As waves whispered beyond the glass, Amato’s gowns swept down the runway like sirens called to shore. Here are ten reasons why global icons return — time and again — to his sea of style.

1. Salt in the Craft
His garments carry the wild grace of the sea — textured, elemental, unforgettable. Every bead, cut, and crystal tells a story shaped by emotion and intuition.

2. Silk in the Movement
Though opulent, his creations float. There’s ease in the drama — cascading motion without weight. Ideal for performers who speak through movement.

3. Stardom in the Vision
Furne doesn’t chase trends — he conjures icons. His gowns command attention while allowing the wearer’s light to radiate.

4. Salt as Spirit
There is soul in the stitching — a deep undercurrent of cultural pride and personal mythology. His work carries weight because it carries truth.

5. Silk as Spellwork
His fabrics don’t just dress — they enchant. Each piece invites touch, reverence, and awe.

6. Stardom in the Silhouette
Furne understands form. He doesn’t simply clothe a figure — he sculpts for presence. For red carpets, concert stages, and film legends.

7. Salt of the Earth
Despite global acclaim, Furne remains grounded. His humility fosters collaboration, creating space for intimacy in the creative process.

8. Silk-Wrapped Strength
There is softness, but never fragility. These gowns are fierce — veiled in elegance yet unapologetically bold.

9. Stardom as Alchemy
Wearing Amato is not mere adornment — it is transformation. A star steps into a Furne One creation and becomes mythic.

10. Salt, Silk, and the Furne Himself
Furne One is the thread. With quiet charisma and a generous spirit, he doesn’t just dress celebrities — he disarms them. And from that space of trust emerges what every artist longs for: wonder.

And in Amato’s world, wonder always wins.

Fashion designer Furne One

Fashion

Ravens, Runways, and Revelations: A Glimpse of Amato

by OJ HOFER | photo credit JOSEPH ONG | jewelry ROYAL GEM

Fashion had become as instinctive as breathing—so natural that one scarcely noticed it. Yet, after seasons adrift in sartorial limbo, the piercing peal of Birds of Prey by Amato Furne One jolted this archipelago’s fashion scene to attention. Amato’s spectacle soared beyond mundane couture, drawing me from the quiet of my atelier to the intoxicating front row at the reinvented Tops in Busay—from the low murmur of machines to the electrifying brouhaha of the style set.

: A lattice dress with an aureole, beautifully bedecked with Birds of Prey, opens the show.

: A winged bustier frames the face with bold curlicues.

: A fringe dress with a farthingale rustles mysteriously in the nocturnal stillness.

: A bell-shaped T’nalak dress, woven with vivid dreams, sways with mystery.

: A T’nalak ballgown, shrouded in black mesh, catches the moonlight like a whispered secret.

: An entrance-making tulle and T’nalak off-shoulder ensemble commands attention.

: A crystal-studded bodysuit paired with a vinyl trench coat burns with fierce intensity.

: A red lacewing butterfly emerges, shedding the remnants of a tattered cocoon.

: A fiery ensemble, cloaked in phantom glamour, leaves an unforgettable impression long after the wearer’s exit.

Amato is not merely a label; it is a visionary ideal stitched in silk and dreams, a symphony of artistry that transforms yarns, fibers, and fabric into fashion phantasmagoria. Under the deft hands of Furne One, Amato has adorned the world’s most fearless icons—Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Jennifer Lopez—women who, like his creations, embody style, strength, and spectacle. His couture is not merely worn; it takes flight, transforming the wearer into a mesmerizing apparition of fleeting beauty—a phenomenal vision that lingers long after the moment has passed.

But how does one conjure such fantastical transformations? To offer a glimpse into the mind of this visionary, we posed three playful questions:

Oj: If you were a bird, would you soar as a mighty raptor or scheme as a clever corvid?
Furne: I’d be a raven—sharp-witted, shrouded in mystery, and draped in the perfect shade of midnight. Its inky plumage matches my flair for dark romance; because even in shadows, I prefer a little drama.

Oj: What would be your most formidable power?
Furne: As a raven, I straddle the seen and unseen—transcendence is my superpower.

Oj: What bird would you absolutely refuse to be reborn as?
Furne: Never a turkey—too commercial, too festive, and far too likely to end up as Thanksgiving dinner.