Ilaya Couture – Confident and Comfortable Clothes

“A woman is never sexier than when she is comfortable in her clothes. “  – VERA WANG
I arrived twenty minutes earlier for the day’s interview .  I found the  stall of ILAYA COUTURE  at the ARCHAEOLOGY Wing , second floor at the Power Plant Mall.  Clothes always excite me and last Tuesday was no different.  I went through the racks  and immediately found pieces that I liked.  The first thing that came to my mind  while looking at the clothes was  that I can so totally wear these!

A few minutes later, owner/entrepreneur/ designer Tina Navarro arrived.  “I named the brand after Ilaya  street in Divisoria. It’s a place known for selling  all kinds of textiles.  When I started the business ten years ago,  I bought mostly from Ilaya  but now I source the fabrics from China, Hong Kong , Korea and Japan.   My brand is all about  uncomplicated , comfortable but fashionable dressing.  All women have  insecurities about their bodies.  I make clothes that enable women to feel confident about themselves  by hiding their problem areas.   It’s every woman ‘s right to look good whether she’s going to the office,  to school to drop off the kids or even to the grocery.”

THE SHIFT

PURPLE POWER 

MAXI  MIX 

JUMPSUITS AND JACKETS

SIMPLY BLACK

While we were doing the shoot,  I was amazed at how reasonably priced  everything was.  All the clothes we picked for the feature cost less than PHP2000 (less than USD50) !  For the quality of the merchandise and the wearability factor (meaning you can wear the clothes many times over), the BQP gives ILAYA COUTURE an “AA” for Absolutely Affordable!
What can the customers look forward to from ILAYA COUTURE?  Tina says that  she’s launching the holiday season next.  Capes, trenches and overcoats will soon be in her  Robinson’s Manila and Rockwell branches.  Of course, I had to try the clothes myself.  Glad to report that I loved the shift dresses for its “forgiving” qualities (like camouflaging my arms and stomach area) as well as for its fashion forward prints.  I just had to take one home.   Please feel free to follow the BQP’s lead.  🙂