Award-winning international fashion and jewelry designer Joyce Pilarsky presented a collection inspired from the historical Balangiga Bells in the Philippines and emerged with the Top 2 award at the prestigious Britain’s Top Designer Awards.
The Filipino fashion artist vied against 9 designers who presented their collections in front of industry judges – celebrity and fashion photographer Joe Alvarez, stylist to the stars Bernard Connolly, fashion editor and media personality Sarah Mulindwa, and TV presenter and stylist Nicky Hambleton-Jones.
Dra. Joyce Peñas Pilarsky, a member of Designer Circle Philippines, was awarded as First Runner Up at the Britain’s Top Designer Competition hosted by Fashions Finest in February at the Congress Centre, Great Russel Street, London.
Pilarsky presented her winning fashion collection during the Russian Ball held in Manila on March 6.
“I took my inspiration from Balangiga Bells. From war trophy to goodwill symbol, the victory of the return of the Balangiga Bells to the Philippines. The bells were taken by the Americans as war booty from the town of Balangiga in the province of Eastern Samar during the Philippine-American War of 1901,” wrote Pilarsky in her Instagram post about the historical reference of her design.
Prior to receiving her Britain’s Top Designer Award, Pilarsky had won several awards including grand prize at the Coastal Fashion Week Design Competition 2017 in New Orleans, Grand Phoenix Cultural Achievement Award 2016, Grand Prize winner at Los Angeles Fashion Week Design Competition in 2015, and actually holds several beauty pageant titles.
Tell us what you think of the victorious Balangiga-inspired collection of Joyce Pilarsky in the comments below!
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