EVEN while he was doing well in the fashion scenes in Manila and Dubai, Errol Isip always had Los Angeles in his mind.
“I left Dubai last year in May. Eleven years was enough for me and Dubai is really just a transient city. I wanted LA because of my friends, family and the weather. LA is perfect, as it a melting pot of ethnicities and the fashion week scene is still in its infancy compared to New York, which means more opportunities for me,” Errol explains.
Back in the early-2000s, the style section of the paper I used to work for, Today, loved nurturing neophyte talents—budding designers, wide-eyed models and eager agents.
Errol owned The Velvet Rope Model and Events Agency, and he would supply us with his model discoveries for our photo shoots. But before becoming a head honcho, “I met [fashion director] Robby Carmona while I was an extra for a detergent-soap commercial and he offered me a production-assistant job at his Saga Events company.”
In 2006 he left for the proverbial greener pastures of Dubai. “I wanted to be exposed to international brands and high-quality events. My most memorable project was a Dolce & Gabbana designers’ appearance event. I was exposed to very professional people with different backgrounds, so I learned a lot,” Errol says over catching-up chat on Facebook.
In Dubai Errol handled events for D&G, Stella McCartney, Giorgio Armani, Emporio Armani, Armani Jeans, Coach, Roger Vivier, Bvlgari, Harvey Nichols, Bloomingdale’s, Charlotte Olympia, DVF, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Brunello Cucinelli, Emilio Pucci, Moschino, Marni and many more.
In LA he works as the casting director and overall choreographer for the Los Angeles Fashion Week, the official one as declared by city Mayor Eric Garcetti. This edition is different from the fashion week of the Art Hearts Foundation, where Filipina models were allegedly banned.
“I just applied online and met Arthur Chipman, who is the executive producer of LAFW. LA is considered one of the most sought-after cities because of Hollywood. Designers dream of seeing their clothes worn by celebrities on the red carpet, and that’s the biggest difference between LA with Dubai and Manila. Stylists and PR agencies attend our shows,” he adds.
The Autumn/Winter 2018 shows from March 16 to 18 was Errol’s first season since he joined only a few months back, so he wasn’t involved much on all aspects in the run-up to LAFW. But he directed all the designer shows, including those of Filipinos Pia Gladys Perey and Michael Leyva.
Perey’s show was about “Modern Opulence,” which opened with transwoman designer Veejay Floresca and closed with Fil-Am actress Anna Maria Perez de Tagle. As she posted on her Instagram: “This season, we slip into new territories and conquer new grounds with style, form and character never seen before by launching a couture line. While we kept our classic staples rendered in our signature silky jersey fabric, we mixed pleated lamé and new fabrics to create more excitement while still staying true to our promise to embrace the female form.”
Leyva remembered the eighth anniversary of his slain brother James in his show, which featured Miss Globe 2015 Ann Colis and Binibining Pilipinas Intercontinentl 2016 Jennifer Hammond. “It was just a dream then; now it has become a reality. I couldn’t thank everybody enough who have helped me made this possible. Still in awe to be representing our country at LAFW 2018. It was indeed a great experience and an honor to showcase Filipino talent through fashion. Thank you, Lord, for this opportunity. Thank you for allowing me to share this gift to the world.
To God be the glory,” he wrote on his Instagram account.
This early, the LAFW organizers are already preparing for the Spring/Summer 2018 shows in October. “Next season, I’m definitely sharing more of my experience and knowledge. We are already starting our weekly meetings,” Errol says.
What does it take for a Pinoy like you to make it successfully in the international fashion scene?
“It takes a lot of hard work, passion and creativity. A bit of luck also helps,” Errol, 38, says. “I hope to work on other fashion weeks, especially in New York.”
Image credits: RUNWAY PHOTOGRAPHS BY MANNY LLANURA