It was through her mother and designer Pitoy Moreno that Tootsy learnt to develop a relationship with fashion. For her junior prom, Moreno prepared a gown that he professed she would be able to wear well into her forties—which she did, when she turned heads in the timeless piece at last year’s State of the Nation Address. But for Tootsy, being stylish has never been just about donning a beautiful dress. It has always been her passion to help local artisans become more recognised for their craft by incorporating materials such as fabric from the Cordillera region and perhaps a belt from Marawi into her ensembles.

"Style is an extension of one's personality and taste," she says. "Filipino is how I would describe mine."

Important also to this stylish lady are her duties as wife, mum, and sales head for a local television network. Like many working women, she struggles to find the balance, but takes it all in her stride because she has learnt to live in the moment. “Not long after I first gave birth, I underwent a gruelling eight-hour surgery to have a tumour extracted from the base of my neck,” she says. “This was a difficult experience to have to go through, but the world works in mysterious ways. There are times when something life-changing must happen for us to alter our perspectives.”

Read the full story in the January 2018 edition of Philippine Tatler. Available in all leading newsstands and bookstores, downloadable via Zinio, Magzter, and Pressreader.