Visual artist and three-time Palanca winner Migs Villanueva recently teamed up with Robbie Santos of Vares Jeune for A Day in the Atelier, a one-of-a-kind collection that was displayed at Art Lounge Manila in Alabang on 6 December.

Various kids' dresses served as a canvas for Villanueva, resulting in a collection of surprisingly sophisticated garments that even adults could wear if the proportions were blown up to fit them. The playful garments were nothing like the cutesy, frilly kids' dresses. But, all any bespoke garments, prices tend to be more expensive. In this case, the pieces ranged from P40,000 to P50,000.

Villanueva, who was under Mauro "Malang" Santos' tutelage, has her own signature style — three dots to depict the eyes and mouth of children's faces. She conveys emotion through body language and the placement of the dots.

Villanueva said it proved to be harder to paint on garments compared to canvas; it took multiple coats to achieve her desired effect. She also needed two to three days to finish painting each garment.