This Fashion Designer Makes the Case For Modern Bohemian Style

Stacy Rodriguez shares how she imbues her fresh, eclectic sense of style into her namesake line, Eustacia.

How did you get into fashion?
I thought I wanted to have a career in diplomacy, but I realized that was too serious. Fashion is serious too, but in a different way. After doing celebrity styling for a while, I started making clothes. I went into fashion school in New York a little bit arrogant because I had some sort of background already, but everyone was so good—maybe 80 percent of them were better than me, and I was older. It was a different animal.

IMAGE JOSEPH PASCUAL

Stacy wears her own Eustacia top at her studio.

What did you take away from that experience?
I interned at Badgley Mischka, The Row, and Altuzarra. I learned to keep my cuts classic from working at Altuzarra, where I realized that if you have a very specific market, clients will come back and buy a skirt again in a different style or color if they already know it works. In my last year in New York, I worked for Badgley Mischka again, which is when I started making gowns. The training taught me to do beadwork and create for an older set of women. But I think in my heart I always knew I wanted to start something in Manila.

What’s your style philosophy?
My taste is very eclectic and bohemian—easygoing, but never too ordinary. I like wearing funky stuff, but it depends on my mood. I used to be much dressier but I’ve since become really casual. It’s also because fashion has become very casual, in general.

IMAGE JOSEPH PASCUAL

Eustacia’s debut collection.

Who do you make clothes for?
I have a lot of clients who come in and shop in threes to make sure they don’t have the same things. I realize much of my market is made up of friends of friends, and that’s why my hashtag is #EustaciaGirls. It’s a “girl gang” kind of thing. The concept of making clothes for a certain kind of woman is something that I’ve really emphasized on because I want to be able to wear all the clothes that I make too.

IMAGE JOSEPH PASCUAL

Stacy’s favorite jacket.

Tell us about your debut collection for Eustacia.
I like to work with prints. I was looking at pictures of Salvation Mountain in California a lot. In the middle of the desert, people had painted different things, a lot of stripes. I usually loosely base all my designs on my travels. I already had the silhouettes in mind, and then I found this shade of blue.

What does your next collection look like?
I’m launching the more luxe side of Eustacia in my upcoming holiday collection. It will have richer colors, a lot of silk, velvet, and tulle, but with silhouettes that are flattering and easy to wear. Maybe I’m nostalgic because people dress more casually now.

Visit Eustacia by appointment, [email protected]; 0956.475.8918; 3340 Harvard corner Danlig Street, Barangay Pinagkaisahan, Makati; shopeustacia.com.

This story was originally published in the October 2017 issue of Town&Country.