For <a href="https://piagladysperey.com/">Pia Gladys Perey</a>, the woman is a perfect picture of grace and resilience. She can stir excitement, embody effortlessness, and conjure ethereal visions. By weaving these values in each dress she makes, the Filipina entrepreneur lives up to her ideals and takes them to the next level by launching the brand's 15th-anniversary collection.&nbsp;

Celebrating her eponymous brand&rsquo;s 15th anniversary, fashion designer Pia Gladys Perey comes a long way from her beginnings as a fashion buyer and merchandiser for brands like Levi&rsquo;s, Speedo, and Kashieca. Having expanded her brand&rsquo;s market across continents, spanning from the Middle East to Hollywood, she gives back to the place that inspired it all &ndash; the Philippines.
In this L&rsquo;Officiel exclusive, she talks about the critical moves that made her empire what it is, but most importantly, she imparts her wisdom on how to build a business that celebrates women and her community.

You became interested in fashion through your grandmother. What was it about her that inspired you?&nbsp;
My grandmother was the most stylish and resourceful lady that I knew as a child.&nbsp; She was a housewife, but she was always dressed up and was always busy with her hobby which is patternmaking and sewing for her family.&nbsp; Despite being middle class, she loved fashion and style.&nbsp; She recreated dresses from the infamous McCall&rsquo;s catalogs that my aunt sent us from San Francisco.&nbsp; I spent many hours a day watching her make dresses and flipping over the magazines and catalogs, trying to make sense of all the miniature patterns that she interpreted and turned into beautiful creations. She also had a revolving shoe rack with half-glass doors that my grandfather built for her. I owe my fashion sense to my grandmother and my business acumen to my grandfather. Instead of retiring, he started his business at 60, and I watched him build a business that provided jobs for his community. When he passed away 15 years after he found his business, he had about 200 employees. I am immensely proud of both of them and grateful for how I was raised.&nbsp; We were not rich, but they equipped me with work ethics and passion for style that will never compare to any amount of money.&nbsp;&nbsp;

You mentioned in a previous interview that you were vision impaired. In what way? 
I am clinically blind which means I cannot see far; the distance would greatly depend on how "tired" my nerves are at that particular time. I will never be able to drive. My vision is blurry, and I do get color-blind episodes. My eyesight is comparable to someone who is about 30 years older than me, so about 73 years old even after three surgeries.&nbsp;&nbsp;
I came from a family with poor vision but apart from the genes that I inherited, I had an accident when I was a baby which affected my eye nerves.&nbsp;I actually do not remember not wearing eyeglasses since I had them when I was three.&nbsp;At four years old, I had my first eye surgery, my mom was able to make me agree to the surgery, well at least to the anesthesia, since she said that I will look like Wonder Woman after (the surgery).&nbsp;I even went to the hospital wearing my Wonder Woman&nbsp;costume. You can imagine how upset I was when I woke up after surgery to find that I do not look like her. [Laughs]
I cannot really claim that I overcame my condition since this is the only vision that I ever knew.&nbsp; I would say that I just did not let it limit me and dictate who I chose to be. True, I will never be able to drive, but I can be a designer, and I will take that on any given day. To be able to make women feel good is the biggest perk of my job.

Did you grow up in the Philippines? Geographically speaking, how did various places in your life allow you to evolve as a creative entrepreneur?
Yes, I did grow up in the Philippines.&nbsp;I was born and raised in Tagaytay then I moved to Manila for high school and college. Growing up in a city that is still boasting beautiful countryside like Tagaytay makes me appreciate the very simple things in life.&nbsp; I grew up around our coffee farms. Until now, the smell of coffee reminds me of home.&nbsp;My father, although a teacher and later on, an engineer by profession, enjoyed the farm so much, and he and my grandfather had poultry and other livestock.&nbsp;My mother was also a teacher and an agriculturist, so I was always around nature growing up and I love that.&nbsp;They were very traditional with the greatest regard for hard work so that was deeply ingrained in me at a young age.&nbsp;&nbsp;
I then moved to Sydney when I was 26 where I "accidentally" launched my collection in IMG's Mercedes-Benz Australian Fashion Week.&nbsp;That was my most daring move so far. I flew to Sydney to be an intern for fashion week.&nbsp;I had $400 in my pocket since I had to fly business class and spend my entire pocket money for a month on my ticket or else, I will not be there on the dates that I was supposed to be there.&nbsp;In Australia, I learned the lesson of proving my craft outside my comfort zone.&nbsp;Six months after interning, by some crazy twist of fate, I became the first Filipino label to launch in Australian Fashion Week. It opened doors to selling not just in Australia but also in Southeast Asia.&nbsp;I was deeply inspired by my travels and learned that women, no matter where they are from, aspire for the same thing which is to feel beautiful regardless of their shape, size, and race.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Three years after launching in Australia, I found myself back home in the Philippines, to expand my factory to keep up with production needs. I stayed in Manila for nine years to grow my team with frequent travels to the USA, Europe, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Australia to expand my market.&nbsp; 2018 came and after postponing my move to the US for eight years to raise my twins in the Philippines, I made the big move to conquer the biggest market in the world.&nbsp; In 2019, we were picked up by chain stores, and just a couple of weeks after delivery, the pandemic hit, and we had to pivot quickly so that our brand stays significant and caters to brides who are having intimate weddings. I would say the most important lesson I have learned here in the US is the lesson of humility. Once again, this time at 40, I found myself in a new place and exploring a new clientele. Altogether, this gave way to a new perspective &ndash; a better understanding of what my clients want and mixing it with the brand's aesthetics.
&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

How has the aesthetic of PGP grown through the years?&nbsp;
While PGP is known for classic designs that stay as staples in a woman's wardrobe, we always inject modern details into our designs.&nbsp; For our recent collections, to keep up with the more skin-baring trend, we included more sensual designs mixed with our elegant silhouettes. However, one thing that will never go is the signature draping that our brand is known for since our main inspiration is Greek Mythology.&nbsp; I developed a love for Mythology because of my favorite uncle who always lovingly shares as much knowledge and skills with us as he can.&nbsp;&nbsp;
 Your brand is known for taking inspiration from the strength of women. What specific trait of women does your brand aspire to live up to?&nbsp;
First will be the versatility that is in every woman.&nbsp;I will never fail to be in awe of how a woman can multi-task and at the same time be exceptional in what she chooses to do and love.&nbsp;The woman is a perfect picture of grace and resilience that is quite unique to her while making most things look effortless and ethereal. These are the traits of a woman that I always try to imbue&nbsp;in every PGP dress.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;Could you tell us more about the inspiration for your most recent collection?
I wanted to honor the Filipinos and their ingenuity in my SS2023 collection. Filipino craftsmanship is truly world-class and something that we can and should always be proud of. I particularly wanted to dedicate this collection to my workers who have been with me since I launched, some even before I launched, PGP. I had the honor of working and growing with more than 90% of our workers, and to me, they are my partners. Some of them joined our company with basic sewing skills and now they can make dresses that grace Hollywood red carpets or become a part of a woman's wedding day. Now that is truly inspiring.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Your 15th Anniversary was celebrated at Amorita Beach Resort. How did that come about? What made you decide to reconnect to the Philippines?&nbsp;
Amorita is the brand's second home and my favorite resort. Like PGP, Amorita is also celebrating its 15th anniversary and in those 15 years, we have been partnering with them for a decade. Our company vision definitely aligns, and we take pride in going about and beyond our client's needs apart from offering personalized service.&nbsp;
Since all PGP dresses are proudly Philippine-made, I decided that there is no better way to start our fifteenth-anniversary celebration than in one of my favorite places.&nbsp; After all, there is no place like home.&nbsp;&nbsp;
 What could PGP bring to the Philippine fashion scene? What does the Philippine fashion scene bring to PGP?&nbsp;
For quite some time now, I have been wanting to bring more Filipino brands, designers particularly, into the global market. But before I can do that, I feel like there is a gap in business and trade training for most of our talented designers so I would like to work with the Department of Trade so that our designers are more ready for international trade. When I was living in Australia, I saw fashion incubators being run by their trade department, and I would like to see this happen in the Philippines. I will be more than happy to start this in partnership with the government and my sister who is experienced in running international companies.&nbsp; &nbsp;
The Philippine fashion scene inspires me in so many ways. I truly believe that the most resourceful designers are from the Philippines, and I constantly find myself consulting with colleagues and designer friends on how they would go about things. From fashion directors to co-designers, their hard work and courage are something that I carry with me and respect.&nbsp;&nbsp;
 As a Filipina, do you have a message for young aspiring fashion designers here in the country?&nbsp;
Think outside of the box. Go outside of your comfort zone. You will not survive this business unless you know how to run a business, so equip yourself with the proper tools of the trade.
 What&rsquo;s next for Pia Gladys Perey?&nbsp;
We are launching a more accessible line on Amazon very soon and hopefully more expansion in chain stores in 2023.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Think outside of the box. Go outside of your comfort zone. You will not survive this business unless you know how to run a business, so equip yourself with the proper tools of the trade.

Get To Know the Ethereal Enterprise Designer Pia Gladys Perey Built

Recommended posts for you

Fashion

What Watches Appeal to Gen Z and Alpha?

Fashion

Sabrina Carpenter Is Versace’s New Muse

Hommes

Eddie Redmayne on the Essence of Acting

Fashion

Levi’s Recreates Bob Dylan’s Iconic Style in ‘A Complete Unknown’

Fashion

What We Know About the “Wuthering Heights” Movie Starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi

Fashion

Supplements To Keep You Fighting Fit This Christmas

Fashion

You Can Now View Rihanna’s Iconic J’Adore Dress

Fashion

The Best Perfumes To Give or Treat Yourself To