Guerra Manila: A Philippine Fashion Scene New Comer to Battle Fashion Partition

In the Philippines, a sad truth lies, when you don’t have the connections or follow the pop trendsetters bandwaggon, you have a slim chance of making it.

However, there’s an outsider in town ready to break this sad rules and penetrate the Manila fashion scene — Guerra Manila — a soon to be know Filipino brand of beautiful crafted handbags and accessories that defies all odds with its well crafted and designed accessible luxury products that can make waves in the global fashion stage.

We had an intimate dinner with Guerra Manila owner Carla Sta.Cruz who was so inspiring and refreshing to talk with as she talks about how and why she decided to come back to Manila create a diffusion line and be a fashion renegade in the country.

“I want to show something that the underdog can do. I’m a nerve I don’t have connection. I don’t know people here. But I want to show the world that I can do something relevantant even if I lack social skills. But I will fight to death for fashion, designing, creating something bequtiful from scratch, it’s always been a passion of mine,” Carla expounded.

With very minimal funds, social connections in the Manila fashion industry, a desireable/popular last name to boast and industry support she had a soft-launch of Guerra Manila December 2014 via private sale held at the Saint Francis Shangrila Place. Part of the proceeds of the sale was donated to Gawad Kalinga. (P.S. Guerra is also a Filipino term for war!)

But, don’t snob this fashion outcast, as soon she will make more waves in the states.

Carla Sta. Cruz has a well-embraced namesake brand in New York and by February of 2015 she will be seen at the New York Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2015 show!

Glad to have met her even before she gets huge!

Aside from accessories, she will be showcasing her couture line at the NYFW AW2015 which has more androgenous flair to it.

Guerra Manila also has couture and here are just some of my fave pieces.

Guerra Manila ia currently available online at the moment at www.guerramanila.com .

I fell inlove with the handbags that I have a separate post for it to ‘show you how I wear them/how nice the bags are in person next.

Stay gorgeous everyone!

UPDate:
After posting this I got a number of people telling me about the bad reputation of Carla Sta Cruz from her past dealing and doings. While I can not judge her from her past. I am lookibg forward to her redeeming herself with what she boasted to us during our meeting that she will be seen in New York Fashion Week this autumn/fall 2015 show in February 2015. I am lookibg forward to that. If it doesn’t happen then we all know what she is, she is exactly what we all heard about her. Right?