“Hindi nakakahiya ang pagiging fashion designer. Hindi nakakahiya maging bakla.”
The power of manifesting worked for Rajo Laurel! Eleven years old pa lang kasi siya, alam niya na raw na magiging isa siyang fashion designer.
Ayon din sa Drag Race Philippines judge, malaking bahagi ng kanyang success ang suporta at pagtanggap ng kanyang pamilya.
Ano pa nga ba ang secret ni Rajo sa kanyang pagiging iconic? Paano nga ba siya nagsimulang gumawa ng pangalan sa fashion industry at maging ang pagtatag ng House of Laurel? Alamin ang lahat ng ‘yan sa isang makabuluhang kuwentuhan.
The power of manifesting worked for Rajo Laurel! Eleven years old pa lang kasi siya, alam niya na raw na magiging isa siyang fashion designer.
Ayon din sa Drag Race Philippines judge, malaking bahagi ng kanyang success ang suporta at pagtanggap ng kanyang pamilya.
Ano pa nga ba ang secret ni Rajo sa kanyang pagiging iconic? Paano nga ba siya nagsimulang gumawa ng pangalan sa fashion industry at maging ang pagtatag ng House of Laurel? Alamin ang lahat ng ‘yan sa isang makabuluhang kuwentuhan.
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00:00Mabuhay! And welcome to Power Talks.
00:02Today we're having a fascinating conversation with a true force in Philippine fashion, Rahul Aureo.
00:08Get ready for a glimpse behind the scenes of his creative world.
00:12Was it a struggle in the beginning? Would you describe your early days?
00:16I believe that hard work and struggle and pain is good for the soul.
00:22If a person is happy, no matter what happens, he will be successful.
00:26I knew at the age of 11, I was going to be a fashion designer.
00:29It's very important to have those things.
00:32Because studying fashion is very theoretical, but living fashion is very ideal.
00:38It's the ideal setup because I studied in New York.
00:41It's impossible to be a fashion designer. It's impossible to be gay.
00:52Thank you so much for taking time out to be with us today.
00:55We know you're very busy.
00:56Always a pleasure. Thank you for having me.
00:58Thank you for welcoming us into the House of Laurel.
01:01Yes, welcome to the House of Laurel.
01:03So pretty. How long has the House of Laurel been around?
01:06We've been around since 1993. The business has started since 1993.
01:11Here in Poblacion, we've been pioneers in Poblacion.
01:14So we've been here for 26 years.
01:16So you were here even before Poblacion became known for what it is known now.
01:21You started the art scene in Poblacion.
01:23It has always been Poblacion.
01:24We were here because it was sort of like in the center of Makati.
01:27During then, the properties were still more affordable.
01:31This place was actually called Backwell because this was behind Backwell.
01:35But now it's sort of like having this wonderful renaissance, which is Poblacion now.
01:42Is this like everything that you had envisioned it to be from the start or how has it evolved?
01:48Not really. I'm a very practical person.
01:51And the reason why we invested in Poblacion primarily because it was easy for my clients to come
01:57and also easy for my employees to get to work.
02:00It's easy because there's a lot of public transportations.
02:03And essentially, my clients are in general Makati area.
02:07But the beauty of Poblacion is I feel like it's like the old Malate
02:11wherein it has this sort of like wonderful personality within the context of the city
02:16because there's the height restrictions from the building.
02:18So you still feel that it's still one of the places where you can actually walk around
02:22and feel what Manila and Makati feels truly like.
02:26It's very vibrant. I mean, just around the street, coming in.
02:30But also coming in, when I stepped in, with all the colors and the ambiance here
02:35with all the sparkles and the furniture, everything.
02:40It just felt so vibrant.
02:42And I wonder what kind of feeling you have every time you come in here
02:47because this is actually like the realization of all your dreams, is it not?
02:51It's a beautiful question.
02:52That's why we call it House of Laurel because we welcome you into our home.
02:55I work with my family.
02:57My mom is our controller.
03:00My sister's my general manager.
03:01My other sister's head of marketing.
03:03My brother is a head of accounting.
03:05We called it the House of Laurel because it truly is a House of Laurel.
03:08In fact, if you go around this particular building, we all have our own rooms.
03:13My sister has her place.
03:15My mom also has her little office.
03:17So we all have our little spaces because we all play different roles in the organization.
03:22So it's almost like coming to our house.
03:25But because we change the feeling.
03:28So this place is like a laboratory.
03:30So if you come back, let's say, in two weeks when we launch a summer collection,
03:34it will look entirely different.
03:36We always try to move things around because we're a destination place.
03:39It's a very unique experience primarily because when the clients come,
03:43we want to make them feel that it's a brand new experience every time we create a collection.
03:49And so that they want to keep coming back.
03:51That's the hope.
03:53You mentioned that you work with your family, with your mom and your siblings.
03:57They were very supportive of your dreams from the get-go.
04:01You know, I'm very fortunate because when I needed help, they really stepped up.
04:06And in many ways, I'm very blessed because I feel that they gave up some of their own dreams in the pursuit of mine.
04:12So I'm very lucky.
04:15I'm very lucky in the sense that I'm very well supported.
04:18I'm very well cared for.
04:20And I'm able to truly just concentrate on creating.
04:23So I have a very good foundation of people to support me in terms of making this happen.
04:28It's very rare, but I'm very blessed that they understood what I wanted to achieve.
04:34And they happily gave up their own personal desires in order to make mine true and real.
04:43I saw one of the TED Talks that you had given, the one you did for Ateneo.
04:48It was so interesting to learn that you were describing how pivotal also your siblings were
04:54in helping you figure out that this is the career path that you wanted to pursue.
04:58Of course.
04:59Because from the time that you were still playing, you had a fondness for your sister's dogs.
05:03Yes.
05:04Well, I think in the beginning, she really hated me.
05:07Because you would take the dolls.
05:09I would take the dolls out at night and return it.
05:11And when she woke up, she was crying because I chopped the hair.
05:14During that time, it was sort of like the era of punk and new wave.
05:18So she woke up with her dolls with mohawks and eyeliner.
05:22But my sister and I really worked together.
05:24Venice is really almost like the wind beneath my wings.
05:28She's my right hand in everything.
05:31And really, my partner in making this happen.
05:35I don't think my growth and I don't think I'll be able to truly fulfill most of my ambitions
05:41without the help of my family.
05:43Are you the oldest sibling?
05:45By age.
05:47By attitude, no.
05:49So by attitude, the youngest, actually.
05:51Yeah.
05:52But I am the eldest.
05:53I am the kuya, but I don't act like one.
05:55The one who follows us is the real sister.
05:58I mean, I'm the eldest and then I have a brother, John.
06:01And then I have two sisters, Venice and Angela.
06:03Okay.
06:04And are you the only artistic one in the family?
06:07Oh, no.
06:08Do they also have artistic inclinations?
06:09Not at all.
06:10My sister, Jella, is actually a very good makeup artist.
06:13Jella Laurel.
06:15My brother, John, is actually an interior designer and contractor.
06:21Unfortunately, it's my sister who's next to me.
06:25She wasn't given the grace to design, but she's good in other areas.
06:30So she has the other talents.
06:32Okay.
06:33Going back to your early years, your childhood when you would play with your sister's dolls
06:38and decide to dress them up, I remember you saying that that's when you first thought
06:43or first realized that you wanted to be a fashion designer?
06:47Yes.
06:48Actually, that was one of the aha moments that I'd like to become a designer because
06:53I was very unhappy with the clothes of the dolls that they were buying.
06:56I found it was a little cheesy and it was a little sort of like demoday.
07:01Now it's different, but during then when you would buy dolls,
07:04they were all pink and pastel.
07:08So essentially, I said, maybe this is my calling.
07:12So how would you dress up the dolls?
07:14Do you have retasos at home?
07:16Well, I would sort of like go to my mother's closets and see what she wasn't using.
07:21And I would really, you know, sew it.
07:23So you would cut it up?
07:24I would cut it up.
07:25With permission?
07:26Well, no, because no.
07:29So I would really be punished when she finds out that all of a sudden,
07:32pag tingin niya may butas na yung blusa niya.
07:35But yeah, I mean, I was a very rambunctious and naughty child.
07:39Creative, but because I was hiding.
07:42It was not something that is usually done by little boys.
07:46So I usually sort of like kept that from everyone.
07:50But what was your inspiration for their clothes?
07:52Would it be stuff you see on TV?
07:54I remember it vividly.
07:55A punk.
07:56Punk and new wave.
07:57I literally sort of like made little sort of like dresses from safety pins,
08:03and everything was sort of like black and goth and dark.
08:06I remember also you saying that you had to be very resourceful as a child.
08:11I found that cat story so cute because you wanted to buy your own dolls.
08:16My mother actually reminded me.
08:18My mother said I was very entrepreneurial already.
08:21At a young age.
08:22Because I was the kind of person, to this day,
08:26pag gusto ko, hahanap ako ng paraan para makamit ko.
08:30I wanted to buy a black Barbie doll because it was on sale.
08:34Siya yung pinakamura eh.
08:35Her name was Cindy.
08:36Walang bumibili kay Cindy.
08:38Alala ko yung National Bookstore.
08:40I think it was probably 65 pesos or under 100 pesos.
08:43Siyempre, I was grade 3, grade 4.
08:46Wala mo naman pera.
08:47May allowance, pero kulang.
08:49So, meron stray cats sa village namin.
08:52So, kinuha ko.
08:53Pinalaguan ko.
08:54Niligyan ko ng ribbon.
08:55Pinulbusan ko.
08:56Binenta ko sa mga classmate ko.
08:58Yun.
08:59By the end of the week, meron akong pera pang bilhin ng Cindy.
09:01I didn't tell anybody, but I actually hid it, siyempre.
09:04You know, who a nine-year-old would go to National Bookstore to buy a Barbie doll.
09:08So, tinago ko yun.
09:09But that was very special.
09:10Very special.
09:11But, of course, my mom found out about it because I think one of the classmate's mother called my mother.
09:19Bumili siya ng pusa.
09:20Bumili siya ng pusa.
09:23So, was she proud?
09:24Meron pa ba?
09:25Wow, naghahanap pa.
09:26So, was there a sense of pride na maabilidad tong anak ko?
09:29Bear in mind, I was asthmatic and I'm allergic to cats.
09:33Oh, no.
09:34So, you parang made that sacrifice.
09:36Can you imagine the kind of situation?
09:39So, that's what my mom nga said.
09:40Parang, why are you playing with cats?
09:42It gives you asthma.
09:43But because I knew that that's one way to get my Barbie doll, ginawa ko.
09:48And then, so, you also mentioned that around this age, you were also a stage actor.
09:54No, actually before that.
09:56My grandmother kasi founded Repertory Philippines.
09:59And, you know, they needed children to perform.
10:02Siyempre, because she's my lola, she said,
10:05Magulong bata.
10:06So, I was actually part of the first cast of The King and I of Repertory Philippines
10:12with Lea Salonga and Menchu Lauchenko and Raymond Lauchenko
10:17and Baby Baredo as Ana and Bernardo Bernardo as the king.
10:22But it was the time when I, really, I was six years old and I said,
10:26Oh, my God, the power of the costume, the power of clothes.
10:30There was a scene in particular that I was asked to run underneath the big skirt of Ana.
10:36And I was just sort of like mesmerized because the construction and, you know,
10:41how that whole skirt was created.
10:43I knew then that there was this sort of like really power of clothing
10:47in the sense that with one change of a coat, all of a sudden, you're the king of Siam.
10:53So, it made such a big impression on me.
10:57And that actually put the seed towards all the different steps that led me to where I am today.
11:02Well, how very lucky to know at a very early age what it is that you wanted to do
11:06because not everybody is blessed with that realization.
11:10Because I knew at the age of 11, I was going to be a fashion designer.
11:15Was it difficult trying to convince your parents, your family?
11:19You know, I was caught in a conundrum.
11:21I was very lucky that my grandmother and my mother were very supportive.
11:26My father wasn't so much supportive, so there was a little bit of a tension,
11:30primarily because they couldn't really visualize and see it as a profession.
11:36My father was very old school, so as you would probably think,
11:39that we come from public servants, lawyers and businessmen.
11:43And I think my father was just worried that I wouldn't be able to take care of myself.
11:49However, because of the support of the women in my family,
11:54it really changed the whole dynamics of the situation.
11:58And ultimately, when my grandfather actually asked my dad,
12:02he said, I still remember this,
12:04let Raho be, because that's what makes him happy.
12:08And in my opinion, if a person is happy,
12:12no matter what happens, he will be successful.
12:15When you had that blessing from your grandfather,
12:19Oh my goodness, I felt like this little bird that just go,
12:24and everything felt like it fell into place.
12:27And so this is when you decided to go to fashion school?
12:30This is when I decided to go to fashion school,
12:32and when they gave me the opportunity to do so,
12:37and everything just fell into place.
12:39Of course, there were drawbacks and hindrances, because life does that to you.
12:43But I was very resolved in that particular goal of becoming a fashion designer.
12:48Was it a struggle in the beginning?
12:50Would you describe your early days?
12:52Of course, I believe that if everything was handed to you so much easily,
12:58it's also easily removed.
13:00I believe that hard work and struggle and pain is good for the soul.
13:07I'm remembering what my father told me.
13:09I mean, he was very wise, and he would always say to you, to anyone,
13:14suffering is good for the soul.
13:16And I feel that without those trials and tribulations,
13:19I don't think that you wouldn't taste the sweet taste of success.
13:24It's necessary.
13:26Like with any creatives or with any particular career,
13:30you need to have the ability that you worked hard for.
13:33Because if you didn't work hard, you wouldn't be able to take care of yourself.
13:37What a profound thing to say.
13:39How old were you when he was telling you that?
13:41Oh my goodness, he constantly told us this.
13:43You're still young.
13:45Suffering is good for the soul.
13:47Suffering is good for the soul.
13:49Only because, I guess, in hindsight,
13:52he didn't want us to grow up with a sense of privilege.
13:55So he was always holding back.
13:58His first reaction was always no.
14:02And then we had to defend the rationale why we wanted to do this.
14:06And once he was satisfied with the answer,
14:09then he would say, okay, let's do it.
14:11In my case, it was very challenging because I was the firstborn child.
14:16I was also the first grandson.
14:18I was also the first with a family name.
14:22So it was like, oh my God, is that really what you call it?
14:25Do you really want to be a priest?
14:28That was their concept.
14:30Yeah.
14:31So in many ways, I had to fight that paradigm shift of a creative being successful.
14:37I think they needed to understand that the power of the creative
14:41is actually equal to the power of somebody who's probably a lawyer or a doctor or whatnot.
14:49Because at the end of the day, as I said to all the parents out there,
14:54listen to your children and listen to their happiness
14:57because happiness is probably the most important measure of success.
15:02That's for me.
15:03Most people would think that, like I guess what your father was saying,
15:07that it's very difficult to find financial success in the creative industry.
15:13Yes.
15:14So what was, you think, the key that helped you, you know,
15:17somehow build this into a lucrative business?
15:20It's a joke again.
15:21My father was the one who answered that.
15:24He said, okay, study fashion, but you also give me a degree.
15:30I said, yes, give me a college degree.
15:34And he goes, of course.
15:36I was like, I wanted already to work.
15:38I wanted already to design.
15:39But my father goes, no, get me a college degree.
15:42So I enrolled in De La Salle University.
15:44I got a business degree.
15:46And because of that business degree, I was able to balance the creative and the commercial.
15:51To have a businessman's mind is very important in any line of work
15:56because at the end of the day, this is still a business.
15:59And I think the beauty about that particular information is even if I was struggling,
16:05even if I didn't want to do it, it is valued because now I know accounting.
16:10Now I know the importance of inventory.
16:13Now I know how important it is to create an Excel sheet or even a business plan for that matter
16:19because I had that particular balance.
16:22And I knew this because right while I was in college,
16:24I was apprenticing and working for other designers.
16:27And I could see what was lacking in their particular establishment and organization
16:33which is a really strong foundation of business.
16:36And because of my father's willingness or stubbornness to say,
16:40no, your fashion degree is not yet allowed.
16:43Give me a business degree.
16:46So there, I did it.
16:48And then because of that, I realized, aha, another aha moment.
16:52Even if I hate math, I still need it.
16:56You have to understand that sometimes it is what you don't like will make it easier for you in the future.
17:03It's like medicine.
17:05You don't really like medicine, but it's good for you.
17:07So now that I'm a little bit older, it was those things that when you're finishing your thesis
17:12and you said, what is this? I don't really need this.
17:14But my father just said, no, just give me a degree, give me a diploma.
17:18And so in hindsight, again, he was correct.
17:21Who are some of the designers that you worked with?
17:23Oh, my goodness.
17:24I was working with Louis Mamengo and Malate because LaSalle was very close to Malate.
17:29So I was just walking around.
17:30In my lunch break, instead of having lunch break, I was in their shop.
17:33Louis Mamengo and Pepito Albert were my mentors.
17:36It's very important to have those things because studying fashion is very theoretical,
17:42but living fashion is very ideal.
17:44It's the ideal setup because I studied in New York.
17:48I mean, New York City is so far from Taft Avenue.
17:52It's like you compared Fifth Avenue to Taft Avenue.
17:55So can you imagine?
17:56I was in Fifth Avenue and all of a sudden, I was in Taft Avenue.
18:00So, you know, although I was sort of like struggling, I knew that I still needed to be in the world of fashion.
18:06So because Malate was so near, Louis was instrumental in introducing me to the ins and outs of Philippine fashion.
18:14I remember taking the jeep to Libertad to buy trims or taking the jeep to Divisoria.
18:21So I went through all of that.
18:23So I think what's interesting in my journey was that every single thing of my business,
18:29I actually, at one point, did it myself.
18:32So up until now, you can still do all the work that other people do in the House of Lorraine?
18:38Yes, to this day.
18:41Because you need to know it because that's the only way you can teach it.
18:45You cannot teach something that you haven't done.
18:48So for us, that's really one of the things.
18:51That's why it's very important for me to be able to really use my hands.
18:56When you first started House of Lorraine, did you know already that you wanted to do bridal gowns in particular?
19:04Not really.
19:07My business model, really, was just making clothes.
19:10It started off with my grandmother and then my classmates.
19:14Even in high school, because my grandmother lived in seamstress.
19:19Manang Charing and Manang Edith.
19:22They were the ones who did it.
19:23Because remember, in that time, you couldn't buy everything.
19:27Before, the curtains were made at home.
19:29The cobricama was made at home.
19:31So the hum of the sewing machine was always present in my grandmother's house.
19:36And because I was very close to her, I would actually design her dresses.
19:40Lola, don't do this, don't do that.
19:42So I was already close to making things.
19:46So I did that also in high school.
19:48My high school classmates will attest to that.
19:51I would sell my services that I would make their prom dresses.
19:55Really?
19:56Which graduated into other things.
19:58But the business really grew with the introduction of my sisters.
20:03Because remember, I can't wear the clothes that I make.
20:07But I had my sisters to actually fall back on.
20:10So they would say, it's nice to you, but it's not nice to me.
20:16So it grew.
20:17So when they needed prom dresses, I made them prom dresses.
20:20When they needed graduation dresses, they had graduation dresses.
20:23Their classmates saw the graduation dresses.
20:26They liked it.
20:27So it grew.
20:28They had children.
20:29I had a children's line.
20:30They got pregnant.
20:31I made the maternity line.
20:34So it was just literally, I guess, hustling.
20:38When the opportunity is there, you grab it.
20:41They still remember who your first bride was.
20:44Yes, of course.
20:45Who was your first bride?
20:47Yvonne Bonzon-Clement was my very first bride.
20:50I was 20 years old.
20:51She was the sister-in-law of my cousin, Ate Chiki de Castro.
20:55So she's my second cousin.
20:57And her sister-in-law was getting married.
21:00So I have a cousin who's starting.
21:02And I remember it vividly because I keep on messaging her that one day,
21:07if I have an exhibit, I will need to borrow her dress.
21:10Ah, okay.
21:11Which I'm sure she has kept and preserved very well.
21:13Because I've been making her kulit.
21:15I remember it vividly.
21:17I wanted to do a version of a T-shirt, but how a T-shirt can be made into a bridal gown.
21:23Is that what you did for her?
21:24Yeah, I did.
21:25Oh, wow.
21:26A striped T-shirt.
21:27Wow.
21:28But instead of the stripes, the stripes.
21:29Remember, black and white stripes were popular then.
21:31Yes.
21:32But I made a version of an evening gown.
21:34So the stripes were made into pearls and crystals.
21:37Wow.
21:38So it's like a T-shirt with a big skirt.
21:40Okay.
21:41And do you still remember the feeling when you got your first check for a gown that you made?
21:46Yeah, I did.
21:48I gave it to my family.
21:53Because we like to get married.
21:56So I'm not sure, but I remember I made a Sunday lunch.
22:01Wow.
22:03And so ever since then, the business has grown.
22:06You've had so many brides.
22:07And then I saw your post from a few days ago.
22:10Oh, my God.
22:11There was a girl who wrote to you that you had done her mom's gown and her flower gown.
22:14That was sort of like quite a special email.
22:18I mean, it's just wonderful that to this day that you're still able to be part of people's lives.
22:25I think the special realization here is that, of course, we're dress designers.
22:30Of course, it feels sort of like superficial.
22:33But beyond that, there's that connection of community, of feeling, of memories, of emotion.
22:40I think that is what really I hold close to my heart.
22:43Because at one point, I was part of that.
22:45And I touched your heart by making you feel your absolute best.
22:50So we treat every project with that kind of reverence and respect.
22:56It's different.
22:57But that email was heart-tugging.
22:59Because, you know, she was a flower girl of her mother's wedding.
23:03And for them to keep a lot of the files.
23:06They kept the wedding file.
23:08They kept my letters.
23:09They kept the dress on mannequins in their home.
23:13In more than 30 plus years, don't you sometimes run out of ideas?
23:18I mean, writers have writer's block.
23:21It happens.
23:23But I already have tools in order to sort of like jumpstart the, I call them the meh moments or the blah moments.
23:31But at the end of the day, it's really about going back to why you're doing this, the intentions.
23:36And we're humans.
23:38There will be times when even you probably don't want to wake up in the morning.
23:42It's like I'm bored and sad.
23:44I don't want to do this.
23:46But you remember why you do it because that is what's going to push you.
23:51That is going to make you wake up in the morning, come to work, revitalized, energized, and excited.
23:58Because you love what you do.
24:01Going back to that.
24:02This is what gives me joy.
24:05That's why I do this every day.
24:08Because it makes me happy.
24:10Can you tell us a little bit about the creative process of Raho Laurel?
24:15Like does there have to be music playing?
24:18Music is essential.
24:19I cannot think without white noise or music.
24:23It's almost like storytelling.
24:25I akin it really to storytelling.
24:27And the only way I can actually explain it to people,
24:30it's like I have these images of recipes in my head.
24:34But instead of food, they're clothes.
24:36That's so interesting.
24:38Ingredients are materials.
24:39And I have things of the combinations.
24:42That's the only way how I can explain it.
24:44When I look at a person, I basically start to say,
24:47What does she want to eat?
24:49But it's in reverse.
24:51What does she want to look like?
24:53How does she want to look like?
24:55And it's almost a process of elimination.
24:57That's for the made-to-order projects.
24:58When you come to me, Pia, for instance, I ask a few questions like,
25:01Where are you going?
25:02Where are you seeing this?
25:04What are you most insecure of?
25:06And then it adds up.
25:10Like in your case, I said that olive green is really wonderful for you.
25:14And as you said, stylist makes it easier for you because you don't have to think.
25:17But if you have to think, what would be the color that makes you most happy?
25:24Or, for instance, what would make you more confident?
25:27So I add things up, and it goes into my head,
25:30and little images and flavors and tastes come,
25:33and then the image goes forward.
25:37And how about the length of time it takes for you to draw something up?
25:42Does it vary?
25:43It's just really a matter of question.
25:44For instance, hypothetically, let's say you're going to a wedding.
25:50So the first question I'm going to ask is,
25:53What time is the wedding?
25:55Are you playing a role in the wedding?
25:58Is the wedding in the morning, in the evening, or at night?
26:02So all of this information already brings forth certain ideas,
26:07and then instantaneously it happens.
26:09In this age of artificial intelligence, because there's Google, there's Pinterest,
26:15there's so many images already online,
26:18does it bother you or bug you when a client comes to you with a certain peg?
26:23Not at all.
26:24You prefer that they have…
26:25Not that I prefer it.
26:27It's a way of communicating.
26:29It's just a tool.
26:30I believe that these are just tools to communicate what you want.
26:34And in order to be a successful designer,
26:37you have to be able to really understand that communication.
26:41And I've always believed, I've never shied away from technology.
26:45I love technology.
26:46I think it's almost like the idea that if you don't use the tools that are given to you,
26:51you are not going to move forward.
26:53These are just little tools that you need to be able to use.
26:58Because in my mind, it's a way to thrive.
27:02It's almost like the best creatures that ever existed are those who are able to adapt.
27:09And that's just one way of adapting.
27:12I'm also wondering, how do you protect yourself against,
27:15for lack of a better term, copyright infringement,
27:18for people who try to imitate your designs?
27:21You know, by all means, please do so.
27:24Because I've evolved already.
27:26In the beginning, I'd be upset.
27:27But now, go ahead.
27:28It's such a beautiful way to be inspired by someone else.
27:31Because I, myself, have been inspired by the greatest of the designers.
27:36The originality of a concept, of an idea, is how you use it on your own.
27:40So, we learn by copying.
27:43And copying is good because that's how you learn.
27:47It's like playing the piano or listening to music.
27:51Before you can even create amazing music,
27:55you have to listen to the classics, Beethoven, Mozart, Vivaldi.
27:58So, for me, if I'm copied, thank you.
28:01Thank you for copying me.
28:02That means I'm worthy of being copied.
28:05Before, I would get upset.
28:06Now, by all means, I'll teach you.
28:09Because that's how you evolve.
28:10That's how you grow.
28:11And that's how you help people find their voice.
28:14Because I'm not afraid anymore.
28:16Being copied is another term for admiration.
28:19Copyright infringement is hard for our world.
28:22If you just change the buttons, it's different.
28:24My resolve is when I'm copied by a lot of people,
28:29what I do is different.
28:30So, by the time that happens, I'm already focused on other things.
28:34What does it mean to you to be a power mover in the fashion industry?
28:39It's a responsibility.
28:40I carry on my shoulders the weight of other designers that have come before me.
28:48And because of this, I cherish it.
28:51I hold that to heart.
28:53I hold the responsibility that what we need to do is basically important things.
28:57For instance, ethical treatment of employees,
29:00providing proper benefits for our employees,
29:03making sure that the people who work for us are actually taken care of.
29:06Life is hard now.
29:08I mean, it's the same for us when we're sick.
29:11It's the same for us when we need something.
29:13So, we need to make sure that they're okay.
29:16Their family is okay.
29:17Their children are okay.
29:19It's not just that they have food or shelter.
29:22We're assuring that their future is actually intact.
29:26For us, that's very important.
29:28For my family, that's very important.
29:30That the people who work with us are taken care of.
29:33You mentioned carrying a certain responsibility on your shoulders.
29:36Actually, it's not just the responsibility of being a leader in the fashion industry.
29:41You're also a known leader of the LGBTQIA plus community.
29:45Yes.
29:46It's become an advocacy for you.
29:49It's very important to me.
29:51Did you always see yourself as a key figure,
29:55a key personality in the LGBTQIA plus movement in the country?
30:00No, not really.
30:01I wasn't really a key player, a key movement.
30:04But they needed a voice.
30:05They needed a face.
30:06They needed someone to really say,
30:09That's like me.
30:11I feel seen when I see Raho.
30:13We need people like me to be able to push our agenda forward.
30:19That we are not…
30:21We're already here.
30:22From Paul, we're already here.
30:24There's Adam and Eve.
30:26But at one point, there's also Steve.
30:28You know what I mean?
30:30Because I grew up very supported.
30:32I had lesbian aunts and I had gay uncles.
30:35I grew up in a family wherein, yes, there was tension.
30:39Yes, there was sort of like reservations.
30:42But it was there.
30:44I had examples of strong homosexual men and women
30:50who have led beautiful lives,
30:53who gave back to the community,
30:55who are pillars of the society,
30:58of culture, of education, of business.
31:02I stand on their shoulders.
31:04And I have the responsibility of showing the next generation
31:09that it's okay.
31:11We will be okay.
31:14And being gay is not the end of the world.
31:17And I'm glad it's changing,
31:19from not only to the people around,
31:22but the conversation is continuing.
31:24They may suppress us.
31:26They may even hurt us.
31:29But we will never go away.
31:31And because I come from that background wherein we need to...
31:35I'm not an activist, by the way,
31:37but we need to stand for our rights.
31:39We need to be able to sort of like show the world,
31:42through our own little ways, that our voice should be heard.
31:45And we are valid, and we are valued, and we are worthy.
31:49These are the things that have to be said always and constantly,
31:54not just to us, but to the future generations.
31:58I think just by sharing your story, that's very important.
32:01What you mentioned earlier, when they see you,
32:03they're like, oh, I'm like that.
32:05We're the same, right?
32:06It makes it easier for other people to come out
32:11or tell their story.
32:13Did you have to have a whole coming-out moment with your family?
32:16Or they just understood from the very beginning?
32:19You know what?
32:20I thought I did.
32:22But I did.
32:24My mom said, alam ko na, alam ko.
32:27I mean, I came out of my mother's womb with jazz hands.
32:31But at the end of the day, I did write them a letter.
32:33I did tell them that I was gay.
32:36And it was so cute because they said, they just looked at me.
32:39Oh, and then?
32:41I remember it was, I was third-year high school in a Catholic retreat.
32:46I mean, palanca letters.
32:47I was bawling out, telling them I'm gay.
32:51And when my mom read it, and she goes like, nonchalantly, I know.
32:57Did you feel like a weight was lifted off of you somehow?
33:00Yes, of course.
33:02I needed that cathartic moment because everybody should come out on their own terms.
33:08And they have that capacity.
33:11Because it's sad that there are still a lot of people who are in the closet.
33:15And take your time.
33:17But do come out when you feel ready.
33:20Because the light is so much nicer than the darkness.
33:24And you've also actively participated in several events, campaigns.
33:33And you're also part of Drag Race Philippines.
33:36Yes, I'm very proud of that.
33:37My daughter and I watch the show.
33:39We love the show.
33:40You know, that really changed so much lives.
33:42Even the perception of drag queens, not only in the Philippines, but in the world.
33:48It's an art form.
33:49It's now considered an actual source of income.
33:53Now, they can really sort of stand on their ground and say,
33:57Because of Drag Race, my family's life is better.
34:00We eat well.
34:02I have a car.
34:04We have an apartment.
34:06So can you imagine that kind of change that Drag Race Philippines has done for that particular community?
34:14That sense of respect.
34:15That sense of pride.
34:16That I'm able to take care of my family because of the art that I do.
34:20Which, originally, was embarrassing.
34:23So in many ways, it magnified what I felt like with my own father.
34:27Making sure that I will be able to take care of myself through that creative field.
34:31Because people like us, they still don't have an idea that it can happen.
34:38Because as I said, we changed now from that mindset, perhaps, of my father saying,
34:43Do you really want to be a sastre?
34:45Now, it's a reverse.
34:48I will support you to become a sastre.
34:52So the parents are changing the kind of mindset.
34:55And this particular program will change the mindset of people who are watching.
35:00Because being a drag queen is not embarrassing.
35:04Being a fashion designer is not embarrassing.
35:07Being gay is not embarrassing.
35:09In the show, one of the very important themes there is that of mentorship.
35:14I believe in that.
35:15How important do you think mentorship is in any industry?
35:18Oh my goodness. Leaps and bounds.
35:20It's very similar to, how can you walk if no one will teach you how to walk?
35:26If nobody saw us, if nobody taught us how to walk, we would still be on our crawling.
35:32So mentorship and finding your tribe is very important.
35:36And seek them out.
35:37Because it's not going to happen to you.
35:39You have to find them.
35:40You have to be open to them.
35:43And for every hundred no's, there will always be one yes.
35:48And grab that yes.
35:50And take it by the reins and run away with it.
35:52But find your mentors.
35:53I found mine.
35:54I'm very blessed that I found mine.
35:56And now it's your turn to pass it on.
35:58Yeah.
35:59And I have.
36:00I mean, I've mentored many, many designers who are equally successful today as well.
36:07And so in your 30 years, 30 years in your fashion journey,
36:12do you sometimes look back and think at this point,
36:16what kind of legacy you'd like to leave behind in the fashion industry?
36:20I'm still thinking about it.
36:22I'm still mid-career, so to speak.
36:25But I do like to think that I was able to sort of create a voice
36:29because I was in the crossroads of the old and the new.
36:33Before I came, we didn't even have internet.
36:36When I started my career, we had beepers.
36:40We didn't even have a smartphone.
36:43But I used these sort of like technologies in terms of making sure that I was up to the times.
36:49You know, back when I started, it was just a fax machine.
36:53You can't just send a picture of the outfit, right?
36:57You have to do this.
36:58And a real appointment.
36:59Yes, a real appointment.
37:00Now, you can use your phone, you can use Zoom, you can use Skype.
37:03But the legacy I'd like to leave behind is basically how a person can really adapt and survive and thrive
37:11regardless of how many sticks and stones and painful experiences
37:17because all of this is just part and parcel of the development of a person.
37:23So my story, perhaps, is that because I was resolved in realizing my dreams, that dreams do come true.
37:33When people hear the name, the brand, Rahul Aurel, what do you want them to associate that with?
37:39What do you want them to think?
37:40Professionalism, style, elegance, and we always deliver on time.
37:53If you could design a superhero costume for yourself, what would it look like?
37:57And what would the special powers of the costume be?
38:01It will be black.
38:03It will be one piece.
38:06And the special power of the costume is any angle.
38:09Can I ask for that too?
38:12I'll sell it to you.
38:13Okay, yes, please.
38:14Then you'll patent it right away.
38:16Any angle.
38:19Side view, back view.
38:21We'll use AI.
38:22If you get hit, no matter what happens, you'll be fine.
38:26Most embarrassing fashion faux pas that you have ever experienced?
38:31Oh my goodness.
38:33It's actually both me and my partner.
38:35We were in an elevator from the first floor.
38:38It was going up to the 75th floor.
38:42It was one of these clubs at the top.
38:44And we were stuck with, not really a friend, an acquaintance.
38:48And both of us, I said,
38:51Oh my God, congratulations!
38:53Oh no.
38:56And then she wasn't pregnant.
38:58So can you imagine that 75 floors felt like an eternity.
39:02It was like we were getting smaller.
39:08So now to this day, I never, ever, ever ask that question or congratulate anyone.
39:13So how did she tell you that she wasn't pregnant?
39:17I'm not pregnant.
39:18If you were stranded on an island and you could only bring three items from your wardrobe, what would they be?
39:24The first one is swim trunks.
39:27Because I'm very practical that way.
39:29Number two, I would bring a convertible parka that can be a sleeping bag.
39:37So it can be a sleeping bag and a coat at the same time.
39:40So it would be warm and I can use it for sleeping.
39:43And then lastly, I would probably bring a black t-shirt.
39:50Because I'm big enough that it can be a tent.
39:53I can use it to fish.
39:56I will survive.
39:57Pagsala ng buko.
39:58Pagsala ng buko.
40:00So those three things.
40:01Mabubuhay ako.
40:02Okay.
40:03What is the most outrageous or unexpected design request that you have ever received from a client?
40:08Oh my God.
40:09I remember this vividly.
40:10I was starting out and a client went to the market in Divisoria and bought flags from different nations.
40:19And it was just a small flag.
40:23Banderitas, banda.
40:25What are we going to do with that?
40:27Make me a shirt with using flags.
40:31And of course, it turned out quite well.
40:33We made a tapestry out of the flags.
40:34But it was so interesting.
40:36There was even a stick.
40:37But is there a special reason why you did that?
40:39Well, it's just my type.
40:41I just got carried away.
40:43But you know, my friend is Tessa Valdez.
40:45Oh, she was the one who asked for that.
40:46No, no. That wasn't her.
40:48My friend is Tessa Valdez.
40:49So right now, honestly, I don't hesitate anymore.
40:54I don't hesitate for any special request.
40:56Because she already topped all the special requests for my life now and my next life in the future.
41:04Next time, I'll say, the next thing you wear is the one that's already eaten.
41:10Because it's sustainable.
41:12If you could design clothing line for a historical figure, who would it be?
41:16And what would that signature piece mean?
41:18Oh my goodness, that's a beautiful question.
41:21I would like to design for Maria Clara.
41:24Not a historical figure because she's a combination of different women of Jose Rizal's life.
41:30But I'd love to be able to challenge myself into seeing what Maria Clara would look like today.
41:38How that particular Filipino icon of a woman would be today.
41:45How about a fashion trend that you wish would make a comeback?
41:48Fashion is very cyclical.
41:50And I enjoy fashion in all its permutations.
41:54And fashion will come back.
41:56Right now, you're seeing it.
41:57You're seeing it.
41:58Nineties, minimalism is back.
41:59Everything from our childhood is back.
42:00It will come back.
42:02Just wait.
42:03It will come back.
42:04All the trends that you like, if you live long enough, it will come back.
42:08How about, what is the most prized possession in your wardrobe?
42:13Oh, my rings.
42:15I collect them.
42:17I bought a ring very early in my career and I've kept that all my life.
42:23It was one of the first things I bought that was not necessary.
42:28Rings are not necessary.
42:30But I kept it.
42:32They're platinum rings that I love.
42:34They're really special to me primarily because it's one of the first few things I bought with my paycheck that wasn't really essential.
42:41Of course, when you're starting out, it's essential first.
42:44That's it.
42:46If you could swap wardrobes with any other designer, who would it be and why?
42:50I just answered that with a journalist also.
42:54I wanted to correct myself because I said Tom Ford.
42:58Now, I've changed my mind.
43:00I would like to have the wardrobe of Yoji Yamamoto.
43:04Because it's very structured?
43:07Experimental.
43:09When you think about it, it's always in black.
43:11It's very basic.
43:13With Yoji Yamamoto, there are seeds of his genius that are unseen immediately.
43:18And the more you see it, the more interesting it becomes.
43:21With Yoji Yamamoto, you have to sit and look and wait because the details come out quietly.
43:30So perhaps, if I could change my mind, it would be the wardrobe of Yoji Yamamoto.
43:34How nice of you to describe it.
43:36It's like a painting.
43:38It takes a while to really sink in and for you to appreciate it.
43:41Well, because dressmaking is like art.
43:44If you could give your younger self a piece of fashion advice, what would it be?
43:48What piece of advice that I would give my younger self?
43:53Diet and exercise more.
43:55Because it will hit you.
43:58Because you will regret not taking care of your younger self now.
44:03I think health is wealth and I would ingrain in my younger self,
44:08sana, that habit of taking care of yourself.
44:12Not only of your body but of your mind.
44:14That particular habit.
44:17So I would like to tell that to my younger self.
44:20Please complete the sentence.
44:22Fashion is…
44:24My life. Fashion is my life.
44:26Well, that's very aptly said.
44:28It's been 30 years that House of Laurel has been around.
44:32Actually, you know what, I'd love to outlive my brand and that's really my goal.
44:35There are very few houses that have survived.
44:39Because normally when the designer dies, the house dies itself.
44:42My dream is that I will outlive my brand.
44:46Thank you so much.
44:48Thank you PR on Health.
44:50Mr. Rahul Aurel.
44:52Thank you for watching. We hope you enjoyed this episode.
44:54And don't forget to like, subscribe, and download PowerTalks on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.