Do you know Monique Lhuillier?

Last week, each student in my class were asked to present someone from their respective country who are amateur into something or is famous. The presentation started last Thursday. I was confused if I will choose Leah Salonga or Monique Lhuillier coz my target is that my classmates will be able to recognize who I am talking to. So I have decided to choose Monique Lhuillier. Do you know who she is? If not, let me share you who she is.

Diane Monique Lhuillier - born 1971 in Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines. She is a Filipino fashion designer based in the United States. She was born and raised in the Philippine province of Cebu and is of French and Cebuano descent, hence her typical French last name meaning "oilmaker". Lhuillier's family is one of the more prominent names in Philippine high society. The family owns a chain of pawnshops currently operating in more than a hundred cities in the nation. s a child, Monique was very influenced by her mother's glamorous sense of style and was exposed to the importance of style because the family traveled extensively. Her favorite destinations were always Paris and Los Angeles. At the early age of 15, Monique left home to attend the prestigious Chateau Mont-Choisi boarding school in Lausanne, Switzerland. It was while she was in Switzerland that she decided to pursue her dreams of becoming a designer. She decided to attend the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) and move to Los Angeles.

Shortly after her engagement to Tom Bugbee, Monique decided to take some time off to plan the wedding. During her dress search, Monique's focus on the wedding business was reborn. She was determined to be part of it and to do it better. Monique received the 2001 Glamorous Bridal Designer Award, the 2002 Avant Garde Bridal Designer Award and the 2003 Designer of the Year Award from Wedding Dresses Magazine and the bridal industry members. In 2003, she was also inducted as a new member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA).

Her clients are Britney Spears, Angelina Jolie, Mariah Carey, Reese Witherspoon, Singer Pink, Christine Baumgartner (Kevin Costner's wife), Natalie Imbruglia, Alicia Silverstone and etc. See? Iba talaga ang pinoy no? Kahit san mo ilagay, laging survivor and talented as well. It only shows that we, Filipinos are extraordinaire. Kaya Bravo to you Monique Lhuillier.