Rajo Laurel
| Rajo Laurel | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Raymund Joseph Teves Laurel May 19, 1971 |
| Residence | Rockwell, Makati City |
| Citizenship | Filipino |
| Occupation | Fashion designer |
| Years active | 1993 – present |
| Organization | Rajo Laurel Enterprises Laurel et Ross House of Laurel |
| Relatives | Jose P. Laurel (great grandfather) Denise Laurel (cousin) |
| Website | www |
| Notes | |
Raymund Joseph "Rajo" Teves Laurel (born May 19, 1971) is a fashion designer in Manila, Philippines. He began his professional career in 1993, holding his first international exhibition the following year. In 2000 Rajo Laurel founded House of Laurel with his sister. A winner of a number of national and international awards over the course of his career, Laurel is best known as a television personality as a judge on Project Runway Philippines. He has designed dresses worn by notable international clients, including Tyra Banks, Maja Salvador, Natalia Zakharova, Kylie Verzosa, and Dayanara Torres.
On his mother's side, Rajo Laurel is the grandson of former Congressman and Negros Oriental Governor Herminio Guivelondo "Meniong" Teves and nephew of former Finance Secretary Margarito Gary B. Teves. On his father's side, he is the great grandson of Philippine president Jose P. Laurel and the son of former Batangas Governor and current Ambassador to Japan José C. Laurel V.
Rajo told the Wall Street Journal in a 2015 interview that by the age of eleven he knew he wanted to be a fashion designer. "I was a very rambunctious child full of energy. I had an epiphany quite early in my life. I was part of The King and I, a local production. I was six at the time, and mesmerized by the power of costumes. With clothes, you literally could be a normal person and become a king, just like that. I was very lucky, because my grandmother founded a repertory theatre in the Philippines. I also remember vividly how she instructed her seamstresses to make tea towels, maids’ uniforms and day dresses. One day, I said 'Lola, no, no, you should design it this way.' That was my very first business transaction, and she paid me 10 pesos."
Rajo Laurel attended De La Salle Santiago Zobel School in Muntinlupa City. He states that a major early fashion influence was designer Louie Mamengo, whom he apprenticed with while studying at De La Salle - College of Saint Benilde, at the start of his career. He credits Mamengo with being his first design mentor.
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Wikipedia