In design, whether which field is chosen, will always bring about the balance of practicality and aesthetics. A designer must know how to always be subjective and objective at the same time. And it is not only from talent a designer can become successful; years of diligence and choices, good and bad, will always be the best tool to reach something a designer can carry as an achievement or milestone.

We should set and train our minds to reach for our dreams and reach for the gold.

Erika Adona, a fashion designer from the Philippines, has so much talent and skill to come up with the next generation’s trend. At a young age, she knew that she was the happiest when she was doing anything related to arts. She was always hardworking and productive when it comes to it. With a young mind, she wasn’t aware that her love for mixing up her dolls’ clothes and wearing her mother’s clothes were going to be the foundation of her passion throughout her life.

In Erika’s youth, fashion as a career wasn’t as famous as engineering or nursing for kids her age. To be able to study a course close to her passion, she enrolled Interior Design at Mapua Institute of Technology. she felt that there was something more she wanted to do so she went to her mother for advice. Those two years studying interior design actually molded Erika and most of her fashion inspiration because the fundamentals she learned there—rendering and combining colors–greatly impacted her outlook on fabrics and clothes.

Two years later, Erika and her supportive mother finally found the first fashion school in the Philippines, Slim’s Fashion and Arts School. It was also in that school where she first got the opportunity to showcase her pieces on Philippine Fashion Week in Manila. Tenacious, spiritually strong, and persevering, Erika Adona is now a name known to many countries, including Tokyo, Paris, Milan, New York and many more.

• 

• 

• 

• 

She was featured in a local newspaper “Philippine Inquirer” last 2010 and fashion magazines “Preview” for September 2011 and January 2012 issues and “Surface” for 2012 issue. Her achievements can also be seen outside fashion runways which meant many of her works are wearable. It also meant that her works are true to her principle that her design should always be unique and different but not something embarrassing for her clients to wear, especially that her pieces were already used in various actual occasions. She also had Arabic clients, thus the need to move way past her comfort zone arises and as a result, she was able to design beautiful Abayas.

Fashion as an art demands for an inspiration and it is normal for artists to get unmotivated and uninspired to design new things but for Erika, everything just flows, especially that she gets ideas not just from fashion itself but also from interior designs. Erika always make sure to be updated to the latest trend, especially that researching will help her understand the likes of the current generation and how she will actually make the current styles better.

As of writing, Erika prefers mixing up colors to produce excitement and enthusiasm but to an extent so that her designs will not look wild and weird. Also, the style found on her designs—which is edgy but with a feminine touch were greatly influenced by her background on interior design.

Being a part of the art world does not exempt Erika from criticisms and judgments because we all know that art is subjective and arbitrary. However, for Erika, receiving remarks will always help her strive to be better. She really does her best in everything she does, even to the smallest things, mainly because she wants all her pieces to bring out the best from anyone who will wear them. She also likes her pieces to build self-esteem and confidence once worn.

With that all said, going for gold or achieving something doesn’t come from nothing. It comes from mixing aptitude, hard work and patience. Impressing a client or winning a competition are rewards of a designer. Satisfaction and Masterpiece always come from the value a designer put into.

Erika Adona, as a designer from both interior and fashion, will be launching her new campaign this year combining both stands harmoniously. So everyone should really check out her works of art. Follow her insta and other social media accounts to be updated on her work.

instagram: @erikaadona.design
email: erikaadonadesign@gmail.com