Manila’s Designer Food Movement

Weddings are a big deal in Manila – the success of most high profile fashion designers here rely heavily on how skilled they are at making wedding gowns. Two of the country’s most reputable designers, Rajo Laurel and Frederick Peralta, have been leveraging their reputations for matrimonial chic on a line of designer wedding cakes for local bakeshop chain Red Ribbon.

An article from The Philippine Daily Inquirer provided some color commentary:

Fabric and music were among Laurel’s inspirations for his cakes. His “Bossa Nova,” layers of fondant that remind one of a woman dancing, takes its cue from flirtatious Brazilian music. The eyelet pattern on a doily sparked the creation of a cake called “Marie Antoinette.” And when you order his “Coco,” expect your wedding cake to come with the trademark trimmings of electric pleats and pearls.

Laurel has since moved on to offering his own bespoke cake-making services for wealthier clients looking for one-off creations. He is also now working on so-called designer hamburgers with local fresh burger chain Brothers Burger along with Ivan Acuna, a critically acclaimed Manila-based painter.