Think of your favorite gown while growing up as a girl with an over-active imagination, the one you usually associate with dragons and castles and glass slippers. Now – and indulge us here for a bit – think of your favorite bodice ripper, where damsel in distress tries to run away from the prospect of a loveless marriage, auburn shoulder length hair tumbling down bare shoulders, as woman goes off crying in the rain into the moors. Or think, at that age when you thought you would be married to one of the Directioners (or Prince William’s heir), and imagine what your gown would look like.
Now think of the words to describe those gowns: ethereal, romantic, sumptuous, without being overly fussy.
Because the items behind the Mangley Couture collection are exactly that.
It is owned by designer Leonard “Mang Ley” Geraldes, favorite of blushing and not-so-blushing brides everywhere. And there’s good reason why. There is a certain kind of understated sophistication, a romantic almost dreamy quality to his creations, particularly the bridal gowns.
The lacy bodice, the full skirt and train — it’s Monique Lhuillier meets Christina Wu with Jane Austen’s dreamy threads stitching them all together.
Or, forget that one. The style, that elegance, that subtle sophistication, that’s 100 percent Mang Ley for you.
Mang Ley is a juggernaut in the business, having been at it for 15 years or so, designing bridal, pageant, and prom dresses. Mang Ley’s creations reveal both genius and artistic intuition brought about by years of practice (man could probably sew on crystals with eyes closed and one arm tied behind his back).
That acute awareness of what goes where, the restraint in the details balanced by the sumptuousness of the design – from gowns to casual wear – have made Mangley Couture a reliable name in the fashion industry.
“I’ve been executing pageant gowns for different LGU’s in the Lin-ay sg Negros pageant for quite sometime,” he tells DNX, explaining why his creations are among the top picks every pageant night.
Mang Ley is also a favorite of local personalities in Bacolod, who cannot seem to get enough of his creations. No wonder then that a brand synonymous to class has been tapped to join the Born Brave advocacy, a benefit fashion show on October 12 at the SMX Convention Bacolod.
The event, directed by Rodney Ascalon, is in collaboration with the office of Bacolod representative Cong. Greg Gasataya, the avowed champion for mental health. Proceeds of the benefit show will go to Youth for Mental Health – Bacolod Chapter, and Happy Hearts Foundation.
“I always believe in the theory of giving back, therefore whatever means that I could share I would certainly do it,” he tells DNX, adding, “That’s why with out any hesitation I take part in this noble cause.”
And what, for him, is the best way to contribute to the pressing concern of mental health? “Love and compassion,” he says, adding, “This way we will be able to let them feel the importance of their existence.”
