Michael Cinco: Making BIG Moves

8:06 PM Manila time. 

There's nothing to do on this lazy Sunday night and so I decided to catch up on ANTM Cycle 16 replays on ETC.

I was disappointed though when I realized that the episode playing is a mid-cycle one. You know... the one episode where they look back at the previous eliminations? Nothing juicy in there.

...But I've nothing else to do so this is better than nothing. :s

In one of the eliminations though, I think I heard a familiar name being mentioned. Michael Cinco.

Could it be Michael? The Michael Cinco I know?

I did a quick Google search and here's what I saw:

OMG.

It is HIM!

Born in the south of Samar, Philippines in 1971, the picturesque place that provided Michael Cinco with a lush setting where his imagination would run in wild abandon. As a child Michael was very fond of watching old Hollywood movies in black and white and envisioned those fabulous heroines painted in his mind with a myriad of colours, dressing up the glamorous women with his imaginary creations in their severe chignons and deadly stilettos, conjuring up grand entrances. He grew up watching beautiful classy women as he went chasing that dream and finding it.

By year 1988, Michael was a state scholar taking up Fine Arts in a reputed university in the Philippines. He took up fashion courses in 1991 and started to design hotel and office uniforms in a Japanese firm by the year 1992.

Michael was persuaded by a friend to work in Dubai. Moving to the Middle East was a big leap for him; however he took the plunge because he believed that this region is reckoned to be the haven of haute couture.

In 1997, Michael moved to Dubai. His first job was very challenging…he was about to change the image of a slightly staid big fashion house. ” I was so scared and don’t know what to do but eventually had the courage to reinvent the image of the house and I think the Dubai fashionistas eventually saw the catcher of an edgy, new young designer.” Michael says. Soon the fashionable woman of Dubai has been choking on their Carpaccio as he began to inject a new vigour into couture.

Michael left Dubai for London and Paris to study special fashion courses in prestigious Central Saint Martin’s School of Art in 2002 to honed and broaden his craft.

By the year 2003, Michael went back to Dubai to open his own couture house with a business partner. He is now the creative director of Michael Cinco Haute Couture that caters mainly on fabulous wedding gowns and unique evening dresses.

He wowed audiences abroad as he joined the Miami Fashion Week last year and his couture dresses has been worn by prominent divas and celebrities. His controversial dress in Emmy Awards last year made a stir on the red carpet as it was worn by famous Filipino actress Angel Locsin when she was nominated for best actress category.

I was given a great privilege to wear one of his creations in the Philippine Fashion Week 2009 and I have to say the pictures of the dresses aren't doing it any justice. His creations are beyond fashion. 

It's art. 

In its purest form.

Here are some of his creations that were featured in ANTM Cycle 16:

L-O-V-E !!!

As a clincher though, one of Michael's creations caught the eye of the whole country... and so are those of some moralist groups at the recently concluded Binibining Pilipinas Beauty Pageant 2011 (Miss Philippines 2011).

As one of the female hosts for the pageant that night, Local celebrity Precious Lara Quigaman (Miss International 2005), walked down the red carpet wearing this red Michael Cinco number:

The slits reached up to her navel and showed off jeweled hot pants which some people deemed offensive... considering this was on live primetime telecast.

In my own opinion, if these people have a problem with hot pants on national television, the whole swimsuit segment should have been scrapped off altogether. 

What hypocrites.

Anyway, some little senseless controversy wouldn't change the fact that Michael Cinco is a gift to the fashion world.

...and I am mighty proud of him.