Lance Ernest Rubio, who grew up in a remote barrio in the province of Isabela within the region of Cagayan Valley, once borrowed an old, dated Vogue magazine from his high school teacher. And it was then when he discovered couture pieces by Alexander McQueen.

Throughout the following year, he scrounged up his savings to purchase back catalogues from local bookstores. The very first brand-new issue he ever bought was L’Officiel Philippines. By some twist of fate, his first print feature as a fashion designer would appear in the same magazine years later!

Lance’s beginnings were far from the glamorous ateliers he once pored over in glossy pages. His parents ran a family business centered on duck eggs. “We have a balutan, and we also produce salted eggs.” 

“I was just a simple kid who came from a small barrio in up north in Isabela,” he recalled. “But I guess the universe gave me a better dream. Now, I am a fashion designer whose works are deeply rooted in storytelling.”

Soon after his high school graduation, he enrolled in BS Biology at University of the Philippines (UP) Baguio. A year in, the fit felt wrong. “Then, I had a realization that it’s not for me.” A gap year followed, and with it, a turn toward design.

He joined the Fashion Design and Merchandising program at De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, only to pause again when the pandemic forced learning onto screens. “I decided to take a leave of absence for a year to rest and wait for the return of face-to-face classes. I really wanted to learn the course, and not just through the screens of my laptop or iPad,” he admitted.

Lance interned under Neric Beltran, whose clientele includes some of the country’s most visible performers. “He was very welcoming and warm. I learned a lot from him. He became a mentor. Oh yes, he even cooked food for us!”

“I was able to appreciate the importance of time management and dealing with big time clients since his brand mostly catered to celebrities such as Vice Ganda,” he shared.