When one thinks of couture fashion, Galliano, Dolce & Gabbana and Versace almost immediately come to mind. What some do not know is that the Philippines Islands have offered a number of amazing couturiers. One example is the talented Monique Lhuillier.

Growing up in Cebu, Pilippines, Lhuillier had a great love for fashion. Aftergraduating high school in Switzerland, in 1989, her parents sent her to The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) in Los Angeles, United States. While attending FIDM she met Tom Bugbee, the man she would later marry and who would also become her business partner. After graduating, she began working with a sportswear label, Melivier, but later realized that her passion was leading her somewhere else.

Monique Lhuillier began her career in 1996 while endlessly searching for a wedding dress. While doing so, she discovered that the bridal market lacked a modern view. Therefore, she spent time designing her own dress for her wedding. While designing for her wedding, Lhuillier was unknowingly designing for what would soon become her self-titled bridal design company, Monique Lhuillier.

Many have reviewed Lhuillier’s bridal collection as modern yet traditional. Her 2009 Spring Collection showcases a number of dresses that Lhuillier describes as a “tropical-island getaway.” The trends seen in this year’s collection are the use of the colors yellow and gold, as well as, Mediterranean inspired prints. Monique Lhuillier’s 2009 Spring Collection is both chic and fresh.