From a humble childhood in an idyllic town to global recognition as Haute Couturier and champion of the Filipino textile industry; Designer Nono Palmos has created an omnipotent brand out of his name through perseverance and consistency over a storied career. Nono’s career began as young boy on the beach in front of the family home. With the use of a stick he would sketch dresses on the sand while
waiting for the village fishermen to bring in their daily haul which the whole family was trading. He would then turn those designs into outfits for dolls; a skill he learned from his mother who was the towns ‘go-to’ seamstress. His inspiration; the blue waters that kiss the south-eastern horizon of the Sulu sea and the contrasting abstracts of Spanish influence and local tradition that is contained in the architecture and demeanor of Miag-ao. It is this loyalty to culture and history that has inspired Nono Palmos to stay in the Philippines and push the local textile industry despite countless offers of big contracts in the bigger global fashion markets. He believes that while Filipino designers have had success on the global stage, the fashion industry is still hindered by lack of an efficient ‘local’ textile market. His life work has brought him and his looms to successful shows around the world including Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai, New York and Seoul. The shows in Korea were produced by the department of tourism where the country won double gold in their shows. The collaborative work between Nono Palmos and the DOT won another award in Yeosu Korea in 2012 where he designed the uniform using the Miagao Hablon. Nono Palmos’ career was highlighted in Switzerland which featured 4 of the Philippines most important Heritage Fabrics in Zurich and Geneva. Organized by the Philippine Embassy through the leadership of Ambassador Maria Theresa Lazaro, the shows were highly successful and made waves among the European Media. Today, besides the continued success of the business in Makati; Nono's business has expanded into textiles and retail. With shops in Ilo-ilo (Kalye Handicrafts) and Doha (Kulay) distributing his designs. Despite the storied career that Nono Palmos has had which includes dressing up the country’s biggest celebrities, a large pool of clients from the international diplomatic community and some of the Philippines biggest names in business; his name still invokes a sense of mystery. This conundrum stems largely from the fact that he opts to stay out of the limelight of the media and prefers to let his work speak for itself; a formula which has made him into one of the most elusive and sought after designers of his time with loyal clients who also appreciate the confidentiality and professionalism that the brand connotes. With a lifetime of unwavering investment in the development of true Filipino textile and design to a global standard; his childhood dream of expanding from the small fishing town in the Philippines to the world is becoming a reality. He always says “I will be judged according to my last work” and it is that locution that define his thirty years of excellence in his industry. Nono Palmos will continue moving forward with his dreams; one carefully perfected creation at a time.
