Fashion designer Resty Lagare showcasing some of his designs. — Images courtesy Resty Lagare

Resty Lagare knows fashion. The well known Filipino designer based in Kuwait has been in the fashion business for years and will be making his runway debut in Phoenix next week at the Phoenix Fashion Week.

To his surprise, he's been asked to do the 'finale' along with fellow designer Rocky Gathercole. "I am still in complete shock - kinda on cloud nine! I'll be in the finale along with famous designers! It means a lot to me, and to be accorded with this humbling recognition is really something. I am still in dreamland and do not want to be disturbed!" an ecstatic Resty told Kuwait Times.

The well-travelled Resty has attended numerous fashion shows around the world. "I usually head to the most fashionable cities in the world to attend events and see what's new in the world of fashion. But this time around, I booked my tickets not as a mere spectator, but as part of the show. I'm looking forward to the best and most wonderful experience ahead," he beamed.

"I can feel the adrenaline rush and I am really very excited. I am now rushing every piece I will be taking with me. I am creating and making sure that everything I want will be delivered," he said.

Resty also revealed that he will be dressing up some Hollywood celebrities at the fashion events and upcoming concerts.

Kuwait: A fashion hub

Haute couture in Kuwait and the Middle East is a growing and lucrative industry, thanks in part to wealthy, fashion-obsessed Khaleejis and a growing native industry of designers and other creatives. In recent years, local fashion shows like the Kuwait Fashion Show as well as private viewings have expanded to attract foreign visitors. Fashionistas on social media command top rates for advertising high end fashion brands and attending launches and shows in the region as well as in fashion capitals of New York, London, Milan and Paris.

Resty is a resident fashion designer at one of the biggest haute couture shops in Kuwait, with two decades of fashion experience in the Middle East. "Kuwait is a very challenging yet fulfilling place to work. I love this job very much. When I draw the designs, I always imagine myself in them. I imagine Hollywood stars wearing my creations," he told Kuwait Times.

Women in Kuwait, according to Resty, are very stylish and well informed customers. "They are no different from people in Hollywood. They like to dress up and get the best designer clothing. They do not care about fads, but want to wear elegantly and exquisitely designed dresses," he said.

When designing for a client, according to Resty, fashion designers should see the whole persona of the person they are dressing. "We need to know the color that suits them, their personality, appearance, size, individuality and other things that suit them the most. It's up to them whether they like your recommendations, but mostly they will trust you," he said.

The haute couture industry in Kuwait, according to Resty, has a very bright prospect in the years to come, and will continue to evolve. "The demand for high fashion will always be there in Kuwait. You just have to pay attention to details to have an exquisite, intricate yet elegant creation that can compete with other globally known haute couture designers," he concluded.

By Ben Garcia