The quiet power of Michael Cinco and his fashion empire

There’s something evocative about Michael Cinco. From the moment I meet him, on a Zoom call, of course, clad in his ceremonial robes — a sharp shouldered jacket, accessorised with silver-etched aviators — his beatific smile is enough to make me pause. It reminds me of a time when the cultural waters of the fashion landscape in the Middle East were shifting — when Lebanese couturiers like Elie Saab and Zuhair Murad, with their dazzling, people swallowing creations, were lifting imaginations up, up, and away. Michael, Filipino by birth and Dubai-based by design, has come to embody the next chapter of that movement.

Now 53, he left his humble hometown of Catbalogan, Samar, in the Philippines in 1997 to move to Dubai, where he’d go on to build what has become a formidable career in fashion. Michael’s foray into design was sparked by a fascination with the costumes created by the legendary Cecil Beaton for Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady.

“I didn’t understand anything about the movie, but I was mesmerised by the beautiful costumes,” he says with a laugh. The fifth of eight siblings, Michael credits his parents’ unwavering support for giving him the courage to make such a leap. “They always told me to believe that anything in this world is possible,” he says. “Funnily enough, my mother and sister were the very first people who wore my designs.” After setting up shop in Dubai, Michael’s success was catapulted by the growing demand for fashion in the Middle East and its adaptive nature, both of which he credits to the booming economy of the UAE. His collections have garnered global acclaim — from Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Jennifer Lopez, to Mariah Carey and Sofia Vergara, everyone has worn his deftly cut creations. So who is the quintessential Michael Cinco muse?

Perhaps Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who wore his now-iconic creations at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017 and 2018. Remember her periwinkle-blue princess gown and the stained-glass-inspired purple mermaid number that took the internet by storm? Those were Michael Cinco masterpieces. “Of course, one of my biggest creations that became viral all over the world was the one she wore,” Michael says. “That was the moment my name became known, and I was able to dress many Indian superstars — Deepika, Shah Rukh, and Salman — besides Hollywood stars.” More recently, actor Urvashi Rautela turned heads at the 78th edition of Cannes in a bespoke peacock green gown. One of the trickiest aspects of fashion is its ever-evolving nature — season after season, collection after collection, the carousel never stops spinning. Likely the reason why the fashion industry is tainted by its carbon footprint, which, according to The Business of Fashion, is expected to grow by 40% by 2030. Fittingly, then, where does sustainability fit into Michael’s business model? “My best contribution towards sustainability is that my clients can wear my pieces again and again, treasuring them as works of art...” And works of art they are.

Haute couture, in Michael’s universe, is not just a product — it’s a form of reverence. His clients across the Middle East, Asia and Europe worship his creations. It’s the 0.001% of fashion that isn’t about wearability but about achieving near perfection. Michael’s garments bring you sliding down wormholes of craft into moments of how-did-he-do-that delight that goes beyond being able to buy his clothes to simply revelling in the view. “Yeah, take me away!” is how they’ll have you thinking.

Talking about inspiration, Michael says, “Each season, I reinvent not just the collection but myself. I draw inspiration from architecture, cultures, and the places I travel, always creating something new that speaks to the times while staying true to the Michael Cinco DNA.”

His fairytale creations, especially from his latest haute couture and bridal collections, resemble clusters of modernist Brâncuși sculptures in their Swarovski-crystalled excess. There are floor-length lamé columns in starspangled, soft-focus tulle, embroidered with caviar beads; Nehru jackets ripped at the breastbone, only to be covered in silk organza to create an illusion of a precise, gaping wound shut whole — the effect is both fragile and monumental, mimicking an Enid Blyton fantasy novel come to life. Some shape-shifting tailored jackets are paired with capes covered in trailing vines of flowers made from feathers and lace, resembling the love child of an octopus and a parasol. What looks like fluttering petals on an Edwardian coat turns out to be shards of silk chiffon, dipped in cotton-candy pink and painstakingly appliquéd by hand — the purest embodiment of fashion alchemy.

So what’s next for him? Perhaps ready-towear? He nods. “We’ve already launched our prêt-à-porter line, and now we’re focussing on luxe couture — pieces that sit between couture and readyto-wear,” he says. “We’re also expanding into accessories, perfumes, jewellery, and even interior couture for luxury cars, yachts, and jets. It’s an exciting new chapter.” As we wrap up our chat, I quickly remember to ask (out of curiosity) if he’d take his glasses off, just for a glimpse of the man behind the avatar. He declines with a smile.