Furne One: Filipino designer taking Middle East by storm

Haute couture has been the most divine art form of dressmaking tradition for centuries. Therefore, it’s a poetic journey for any designer to indulge in. No wonder why one needs to have a lot of oomph to do complete justice to it!
And the dresses designed by Furne One, an internationally renowned couturier from Philippines today, clearly showcase his invincible perfection in this regard. As the phenomenon of one success after another continued for him, it was a matter of time before his magnificent dresses began to be noticed and donned by celebrities bigger in influence such as Shakira, Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Nicole Scherzinger, Jessie J, Rita Ora, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj, among others.
In an exclusive interview with Arab News, we sit down with him to find out about his fairytale world where these remarkable outfits take shape, how his journey of becoming a designer began and much more.
Furne enjoyed fashion so much so that he started playing with his sisters’ dolls and dressed them up. He was quite young then.
As he fondly remembers, “I started sketching dresses at around 10 years and continued it till I went to college. As a boy, I would keep everything to myself and spend most of my time alone with my imagination, sketching away dresses. As I grew older, I became a little rebellious. In time, I grew out of that phase and started focusing on my career and become a successful designer.”
While he majored in Fine Arts in college, it was his intuitive learning that helped him reach a high point in fashion design. At the outset, he worked as a visual artist for a mall in his country. Much to one’s astonishment, he even dabbled in designing shoes for a local brand. But the big break came in his life when he won a major fashion design competition back home in 1994, judged by a famous Filipino-American designer Josie Natori and a few others. “The moment it happened, she took me under her wing and brought me to Paris and New York to work for her as an apprentice because she saw potential in me,” he says.
Besides, he won the first prize at Japan’s Women Wear Awards in the same year. And three years later, he stood out as a finalist at Manila’s Fashion Design Awards.
Shortly after his vigorous stint with Josie Natori, Furne One was getting prepared for a jolly ride in the Middle East. When he set off to Dubai in 1998 for the first time as part of visiting his friend there, he was startled to discover the endless possibilities the beautiful city held for a young designer like him.
As he was in the city exploring the untapped fashion market and beyond in the region, he knew what the elite Arab clientele needed— dresses of unbeatable splendor. Furne’s dream materialized in 2002 when he opened the doors to his first boutique “Amato” (meaning “beloved”) there. “Dubai appeared to be very lavish and extravagant at the time of my first visit. It held so much promise of progress. To this day, I find this city quite enchanting and mysterious — things that are synonymous with my vision of Amato,” he says.
Full of dramatic, romantic and artistic touches, an Amato piece always creates a stir. “From what I heard from people I’ve worked with, the Amato signature is defined by the intricate detailing, romance and drama all packed into one garment,” Furne explains. “Make no compromise is the motto I follow.”
While designing his collections, there is a systematic process that he implements and finds it very fulfilling at the same time. “The entire creative practice from conceptualizing the ideas and sketching the design to the sewing and finishing is a wondrous feeling. It still amazes me how a simple imagination can come to life; being able to create a dress that people appreciate is the most rewarding experience for any designer. Moreover, what matters is that you create something that speaks directly to your audience and makes them see your vision,” he admits.
Then it comes down to picking the perfect combination of fabrics which, he thinks, is the most important part in creating an outstanding design for any collection. “You have to choose the right materials according to the season. Most importantly, you have to think about the fall of the fabric with your design and how it will compliment the silhouettes and the overall look,” Furne says.
Color for him is an expression of emotion which he never fails to capture so gracefully in an effective collection. In order to convey that picturesque appearance, he says, “You must tell your story to the audience through your clothes— the marvelous cuts, the great music, the gorgeous makeup and the vibrant colors. They all play a huge part in expressing a designer’s blossoming emotions for that particular season.”
Furne’s garments bring to life a real life fantasy for women who love to be strong, passionate, romantic, creative and aren’t afraid to take the risks. He goes on to reiterate that some women even find it a benign escape from their reality while others freely delve into their sensuality. “When an Amato woman puts on one of my couture pieces, she embodies the spirit of that dress. She could be a princess and she can be a dominatrix or avant-garde seductress. She can be whoever she dreams to be,” he says, adding that Cate Blancett, Eva Green and Madonna to name a few are his muses he always gets enthused by.
On the whole, the breadth of one’s inner inspiration is always an indispensable factor when it comes to making it to the top. It’s no different for Furne too. “I always keep my eyes open for new sources of inspiration. I take in everything from photography, music, art, travels to even everyday objects as sources of inspiration that I use in creating new collections,” he says. “I love visiting museums and looking at art. I have a few paintings from my artist friends and some pieces I’ve gotten from my travels. It all seeks to harmonize with my wandering thoughts of how much I love to perceive about creating chic garments.”
While the fodder of creativity feeds the minds of designers and drives them to do wonders, they can’t overlook two essential things — functionality and comfort. Since fashion is a big industry and it moves fast, you need to evolve with it and adjust to your audience’s demands. “This is where we creatives get lost in our isolated concepts and ideas that we tend to forget the business side of it all. In my earlier years, I had quite difficult time finding that perfect balance of artistry with functionality,” Furne admits. “Luckily, through years of studying, experimenting and a little help from my business partner, I would say I’ve found that balance.”
At the core of Amato has always been the desire to evolve. As part of it, Furne has developed an equally alluring Pre-A-Porter line which has generated a lot of buzz since it made its debut at the Fashion Forward Dubai (FFWD) Season 6.
For the Spring Summer 2016 collection, he looked back nostalgically at his childhood memories. “When I was a boy, I would play with my sisters’ dolls and their pink dollhouse. We would run around in the gardens, which is where the element of flowers, birds and insects came from,” he says. “I was also inspired by oriental artworks and traditional embroidery.”
The theme of the collection revolved around making it accessible to everybody irrespective of anything. “We wanted to be able to cater to all of our followers, not just the socialites and royalties but also to the everyday woman/girl who wants to try being bold and edgy,” he says.
His ready-to-wear line will consist of basic pieces (t-shirts, sundresses, shorts, etc.) but with a twist, of course! “The goal is to create something that is plain and simple into something equally intricate and opulent as an Amato haute couture gown — but at an affordable cost,” Furne explains.
In his eyes, Dubai is a fine melting pot of different cultures and fresh ideas making the city’s fashion calendar even more happening as time goes by. “For that part, women have adapted to the styles of Europe and America quite confidently. Likewise, there are a growing number of young designers in the country whose works if taken a glance at are just great. This multiplicity is, in fact, what makes Dubai the rising sun of the international fashion circuit,” he says.
Coming this far for Furne in life hasn’t been possible by taking shortcut measures and regretting afterward. Rather, he has achieved it all because of his hard work and sheer determination and he firmly believes there really isn’t a secret to success. “There are no shortcuts. You just have to follow your guts and be open to advice at the same time. Work hard, learn from your mistakes, trust yourself and don’t forget to have fun,” he says.
Last but not least, he wants to dispel the idea of the fashion industry being just about pretty dresses, fabulous parties and big fame a lot of young designers come to think of it. “They often forget about the responsibilities that go along with it. The truth is, it’s all about having a clear vision of your aesthetic, good business acumen, hard work and perseverance,” Furne says of his experience.
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