Au Petit Moi —— to little me.
a love letter to the worlds i once made-believe, now made real.
this collection reimagines the joy of “play pretend” and “dress up” from girlhood, transforming the characters i—and so many girls like me—once pretended to be into elegant yet playful occasionwear. princesses, dolls, dancers, dreamers.
inspired by tender and kitschy nostalgia—like the souvenir magnets my family used to collect—each piece invites interaction. hems shift. details detach and reattach. appliqués wander. magnets are embedded throughout, allowing the garments to move and transform, just as identity does. these aren’t static clothes; they are meant to be played with.
this collection was NOT what i originally set out to create. in truth, my first thesis was the complete opposite. and i failed it.
failing my thesis—my first real academic failure—unraveled me in ways i didn’t expect. i questioned my ability, my direction, my purpose, even whether i should continue at all. i felt lost. i felt small. i was close to quitting. close to walking away from everything i worked for. it felt like an identity crisis wrapped in exhaustion, frustration, and doubt. but failure, as painful as it was, became the turning point. sometimes, losing your way is the only way back to yourself and yes, it forced me to return to myself—to the little girl who created worlds without fear, who dressed up just because she could, who believed imagination was enough, who never asked for permission to dream. this collection is the result of choosing to believe in her again.
if you are in the middle of your own collapse, let this be proof: failure is not the end of your story. it is the rewrite. it is the refinement. it is the moment that separates who you thought you had to be from who you truly are.
and now, six days before graduation, i stand here not as someone who never failed but someone who did, and chose to continue anyway.
photos won’t fully capture it as these pieces are meant to be experienced, touched, rearranged, and transformed. they are playful, they are interactive. they are healing.
to little alyssa, this one’s for you 💗
behind every shoot, there’s a brainstorming session 🧠⚡️
it can get wild. the buildup of the vision isn’t done just by one person, but by a team. ideas being taped up, conversations of stories, the banter of both looks and technicals, it’s just a symphony from the team at 1887 studios 🎶
Creative Direction: @raphaelgono
Photography: @renonum@renonima
Production Assistant: @aya_lacn@esterjade
HMUA: @only.jella
Lights: @godoxph@jgsuperstore
Production House: @1887Studios
In Frame: @iamjuliannahuang@okdrei@venusperol
The House of Yu Collection
Inspired by the ancient Chinese notion of "yin and yang," which has had a significant impact on Chinese culture since the third century BCE. Based on the principles of harmony and balance, yin and yang depict the interaction of opposites—good and ill, light and dark.
Creative Director & Designer: @allyssaaayu
Co - Director & Photographer: Justin Reyes
Lighting/Production Assistant: @chaimendoza@marrshoe
Makeup Artist:@izyowglamboi
Hair Stylist: @hairbylowellcapiones_
Stylist: @ariellenovales
Styling Assistance: @rayapineds
Models:
Simon Co @johnsimon.co
Jamila San @j.mlsn
Beatrice Ramos @eelangya
Ralf Lim @limralf
Malaya Ancanan @ancananmalayat
Shot in @guijostudios
𝗕𝗬𝗦𝗙𝗪 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰
My first time ever covering runway and BTS for @inigovillegas ' collection
I've been so grateful for the opportunity to work alongside and see so many amazing creators, models and stylists work put into this event! This was one of the biggest and most hectic experiences I've ever had shooting and I never could've imagined covering something this big in my career just a few months ago ~
(salamat sa inv ehem @corrorrorro )
