t0822y-mikaella_feat9_2 — SHORT dress with beaded laser cut design and ruffled hemmade of tattered chiffon; shoes by Charles and Keith

Ambitious and highly motivated, Alisha Mae Domingo from De La Salle-College of St. Benilde shared with 2bU her dream of designing whimsical, playful and dreamlike clothes.

She first knew she wanted to design when she was a little girl, watching her grandmother sew and make her little grandchild beautiful baby doll dresses.

Alisha was attracted to this enchanting process, wanting to emulate the creation of such playful and cute dresses. However, in 2007, she was in the middle of studying dentistry to follow her dad’s wishes. She studied this for two years, eventually switching to fashion studies after persuading her parents.

With Alisha, what inspires her the most is the world under the sea. Because she goes to the beach frequently, she got her vision from everything she sees under the ocean when she goes snorkeling. She says that the sea is so diverse, and that the corals inspire her.

Her collection, Thalassa (Sea Goddess), embodies the themes of the ocean world. Her colors are peach, blush pink, and old rose. She designs gowns and cocktail dresses, wanting to copy the continuity, fluidity, and elegance of the coral and algae. She uses chiffon, duchess, power knit, and jersey; she gets her material from the Philippines and creates the small details in her dresses.

Her embellishments are beautiful pearls, to add to the aesthetics of her dresses. Her local inspirations include Francis Libiran and Michael Cinco, while her international inspirations are Marchesa, Anna Sui and Alexander McQueen. The brands she likes are Topshop, Zara, Dorothy Perkins and Mango.

Alisha definitely has something going for her, especially in a country as beautiful as the Philippines, where one can find inspiration anywhere.

Photography