Michael Leyva is a Filipino fashion designer. Grana, Rhi
"How fashion designer Michael Leyva kept his slain brother’s dream alive"
''ANCX'', March 28, 2023 He is primarily known for his bridal designs.Salonga, Bianc
"Designer Michael Leyva Raises The Bar For Fashion Shows In The Philippines"
''Forbes'', October 29, 2022

Early life and education

Michael is fifth among six sons to Nanay Merly Leyva.Lapid, Alyss
"Michael Leyva On His Decade-Long Career And His Ode To His Late Brother, Brian"
''Vogue Philippines'', November 4, 2022 When he was ten years old, he saw his older brother, Brian Leyva, designing and creating dresses from scratch in the family living room. At times, Brian would ask him to buy sewing materials from Divisoria. However, he never imagined following in Brian's footsteps. Michael graduated with a Tourism degree from the

University of Santo Tomas The University of Santo Tomas (UST; ), officially the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of the Philippines or colloquially as ''Ustê'' (), is a Private university, private Catholic school, Catholic researc ...

. He took a

fashion design Fashion design is the art of applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction, and natural beauty to clothing and its accessories. It is influenced by diverse cultures and different trends and has varied over time and place. "A fashion design ...

course at Central Saint Martins in London. He also took up fashion courses under Jojie Lloren, a local veteran fashion designer.Salazar, Aubreylaine M
" Five things you should know about fashion designer Michael Leyva"
''PeopleAsia'', June 27, 2018 His tragic life story was featured in a docuseries, "

Maalaala Mo Kaya (, abbreviated as ''MMK'') is a Philippine television drama anthology series broadcast by ABS-CBN and Kapamilya Channel. Hosted by Charo Santos-Concio, its first iteration was aired from May 15, 1991 to December 10, 2022. It is the longest ...

Career

Michael initially pursued a career as a flight steward. However, he was not happy with his work, so he considered a career in fashion when Brian was mugged and gunned down on March 29, 2010. Brian was considered one of the promising young designers in the 2000s. Brian won first place in a fashion design competition (Young Designers Guild Competition) held in Paris, France, in 2004.Boutain, Trina Epilepsi
"Michael Leyva Celebrates His 10-Year Anniversary At The National Museum"
''Vogue Philippines'', October 11, 2022 When Brian died, he had three pending projects that Michael took upon himself to complete. Michael was hesitant at first because of his zero background in fashion design. He struggled as a new fashion designer. He used to fit clients at coffee shops because he did not have a shop of his own. Michael's earnings then were only enough to pay for his seamstresses. Michael staged his 10th anniversary as a fashion designer at the National Museum, the first in the museum's history. He debuted the 50-piece collection, dubbed Hiraya, during the fashion show. The show took eight months to complete. In 2021, Michael Cinco asked Michael to do a showcase in Dubai as part of Arab Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2021. Michael Leyva was one of the four brands represented on the final night of Arab Fashion Week 2022. He presented his Diamond Collection as part of Dubai's Design District (d3). He brought 30 pieces of dresses from the Philippines.Portee, Allyso
"Arab Fashion Week SS22 Shows Come To A Close With A Packed House For The Last Show"
''Forbes'', October 28, 2021Sherieff, Syeda Eru
"THE DIAMOND THAT LAST FOREVER: MICHAEL LEYVA’S COLLECTION SHINES AT ARAB FASHION WEEK"
''Victor Magazine'', December 17, 2021 His tenth anniversary fashion show was held at the

National Museum of the Philippines The National Museum of the Philippines () is an umbrella government organization that oversees a number of national museums in the Philippines, including Ethnography, ethnographic, Anthropology, anthropological, Archaeology, archaeological, an ...

. In August 2023, his fashion show 'Isang Pilipinas' at Malacañang’s Goldenberg Mansion included fabrics–from Ilocos’

Inabel Inabel, sometimes referred to as Abel Iloco or simply Abel, is a weaving tradition native to the Ilocano people of Northern Luzon in Art of the Philippines, the Philippines. The textile it produces is sought after in the fashion and interior desig ...

and

T'nalak ''Tnalak'' (also spelled ''tenalak''), is a weaving tradition using resist-dyed threads of the Tboli people of South Cotabato, Philippines. T'nalak cloth is woven exclusively by women who have received the designs for the weave in their dreams ...

. In 2024, Leyba launched his Bridal Couture 2025 collection-fashion at

The Peninsula Manila The Peninsula Manila (colloquially Manila Pen or simply Manila Peninsula), is a 5-star luxury hotel in the Philippines. It is located on the corner of Ayala Avenue and Makati Avenue in the Makati Central Business District, falling under the ...

. He showcased his Couture 2025 collection of

pastel A pastel () is an art medium that consists of powdered pigment and a binder (material), binder. It can exist in a variety of forms, including a stick, a square, a pebble, and a pan of color, among other forms. The pigments used in pastels are ...

hues at

Conrad Manila Conrad Manila is a 5-star hotel located at the Bay City area in Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines. The hotel serves as the first Conrad-branded hotel in the country, which is under the Hilton Worldwide corporation. Design and construction The ...

Notable clients

Michael dressed

Kris Aquino Kristina Bernadette Cojuangco Aquino (; born February 14, 1971) is a Filipino retired television presenter, actress, talent manager and film producer. She notably appeared as Princess Intan in the acclaimed '' Crazy Rich Asians'' and is a rec ...

for the Hollywood premiere of “

Crazy Rich Asians ''Crazy Rich Asians'' is a 2018 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Jon M. Chu from a screenplay by Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim, based on the 2013 novel by Kevin Kwan. The film stars Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Gemma Chan, Lis ...

.” He has dressed up other local celebrities, including Anne Curtis, his long-time muse; Pia Wurtzbach; Regine Velasquez, especially for her R3.0 (concert); Vice Ganda; and Andrea Brillantes. Michael is also the preferred designer of former Vice-president Atty. Leni Robredo, and First Lady Liza Marcos.

Advocacy

In 2020, Michael reassembled his team to create personal protective equipment (PPE) for health workers in the Philippines. When COVID-19 hit, there was a shortage of PPEs in various hospitals in the country. Michael donated at least 3,000 hazmat suits, head covers, and 5,000 washable face masks.Tomada, Nathali
"Fashion Designer Michael Leyva Creates PPE For Health Workers To Beat COVID-19"
''One News PH'', March 26, 2020

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leyva, Michael Living people Filipino company founders 1989 births University of Santo Tomas alumni People from Antipolo