I first saw Pablo Cabahug’s designs during the Philippine Fashion Week Holiday 2010 show. His sexy yet understated sheer dresses worn by seasoned models such as Marina Benipayo and Rissa Mananquil-Trillo definitely made him the designer to watch.

But far from his current design aesthetic of pleated and pin-tucked feminine frocks, Cabahug said his interest in fashion really started with good ol’ jeans.

“Fashion designing captured my heart ever since I started wearing jeans,” he said.

Lacking formal education in fashion designing, he honed his skills by apprenticing for veteran designer Randy Ortiz for eight years and working as fashion assistant for veteran director Jackie Aquino for 11 years.

“Being exposed to fashion shows and meeting influential people in the industry gave me a good opportunity to pursue my childhood dream,” Cabahug said.

The then budding designer didn’t stop there. He set his sights on Look Magazine’s 2010 Look of Style Awards. He won it for his robotics-inspired creations in gray duchesse satin.

“Initially I was hesitant to join, but I dared to take the risk and challenge myself,” he said. “Fortunately I won, which led me to believe in my own design principle and to uphold what I do best.”

This year, Look Magazine, Inquirer Lifestyle, and the British Council   are doing their nationwide search for the next talented young designer in 2012’s Look of Style Awards.

“The Look of Style Awards isn’t only beneficial to winners, because it’s a platform for young designers to show their craft and be known in the industry,” said Cabahug.

Organized to support the next generation of Filipino fashion designers and help them pursue their design and business plans, the third staging of the Look of Style Awards will not only give the winning designer  business mentoring from fashion industry professionals and a spot in Inquirer Lifestyle’s next Face-Off Fashion Show; but also an all-expenses-paid trip to the United Kingdom where he/she will have the opportunity to enroll in a short course of his/her choice at London’s prestigious Central Saint  Martins.

“The entire experience was most memorable, because being in London and a student at Central Saint Martins was so inspiring that I didn’t want to make any part of it dull,” said Cabahug.

“I was also able to gain more insights from fellow designers from other countries,” he added.

‘Going green is the trend’

Cabahug’s London training  and his various stints surely paid off as he showed yet another collection, dubbed “Far East Luxe” in the recent Philippine Fashion Week.

In the collection, Cabahug used jusi, an organic material woven from silk and piña threads, dyed it, and used laser-cut pelon to form patterns.

Coincidentally, the theme for this year’s Look of Style Awards is Eco Chic.

Finalists will be challenged to make wearable clothes created in an eco-friendly manner, either through the use of organic, upcycled or recycled materials, and/or through zero-waste design techniques

“Going green is the trend and the advocacy that is happening around the globe,” Cabahug noted.

“The environment is getting worse and the fashion industry should make a major step in conserving it.”

With his trademark design of “classic silhouettes with a twist,” he has nabbed a substantial clientele and has surely come a long way from the humble pair of jeans that motivated him to pursue a career in fashion.

“Just believe in yourself and your capabilities,” he advised  aspiring designers. “Wait for your perfect time and when the opportunity comes, seize it.”

Call Pablo Cabahug at 0917-8008819; visit his atelier at 8818 Kamagong St. cor. Sampaloc St., San Antonio Village, Makati City