Clothing began as a necessity —protection from the elements, a means of survival. Over time, however, it evolved into one of humanity’s most eloquent aesthetic languages, enabling people, particularly women, to express identity, emotion and artistry through what they wear.

For renowned fashion designer Josie Natori, placing women at the center of her work allows her to illuminate the many layers of female experience through clothing.

“I’ve always said my biggest asset is being a woman, second is being Asian. That’s inherent in the work we do, where a woman is able to express herself through the kind of clothes that we make. I think women have many moods — you can go very simplistic, you can go from just black to a lot of colors — it depends on what she feels. And that’s part of it, because fashion is a way of self-expression,” Natori said.

Natori is among the earliest and most successful Filipino-American designers and one of the few immigrant women who transformed corporate achievement into a global fashion empire. After a distinguished career in Wall Street at Merrill Lynch, where she became the first female vice president in investment banking, she founded The Natori Company in 1977.

“I’ve always said that everything we create in Natori is about enhancing a woman’s life and making her feel good — it’s for her,” she said.

Beyond fashion, Natori has long been engaged in arts and cultural work. One of her most recent projects was the special staging of Intramuros Evenings: La Voix Humaine (The Human Voice), where she served as costume designer