Filipino ‘Designer Daddy’ Mesmerizes Netizens with His Magical Disney Princess Dresses
By Bryan Ke
Filipino designer Nephi Garcia is not only a father to an adorable little girl, but he is also often viewed as a fairy godfather by a lot of girls across the globe who want to be like a Disney princess.
Garcia, who is the owner of the Disney princess gown-inspired online fashion shop “Designer Daddy Studio,” began his fairy tale journey around 2014 when he took his daughter to Disneyland while dressed as a Fairy Godmother, Los Angeles Times reported.
But even before that, Garcia had his own “Cinderella” story. He moved to the U.S. from the Philippines in 2002. As a child, he watched his family sew garments, and by 11 years old, he set out to design a dress for his cousin. However, he put aside the hobby until his wedding, when he set out to create a gown for his soon-to-be wife. With his skill honed from childhood, he landed a job in the high-fashion industry, but quit when it didn’t leave him enough time for his family. He found a part-time job in retail, but eventually lost that job. Soon, he and his family were on the verge of homelessness while living with family and friends.
It was his wife who encouraged him to pursue his passion for creating Disney-inspired dresses. He told the Los Angeles Times:
“My wife told me, ‘We have literally nothing to lose. Why not do it now?’ This literally saved us from where we were at.”
After noticing people taking pictures of his daughter while wearing one of his costumes at Disneyland, the father of three from Huntington Beach thought he uncovered something special and was inspired to create more costumes for his little girl, who was 4 years old at the time.
The simple dress up play that Garcia had with his daughter soon turned into an enterprise catering to hundreds of customers from around the world.
“It’s great. I’m booked out for a good couple years if I keep all of these clientele,” he said, Philippine network ABS-CBN reported.
However, it wasn’t until recently when Japanese netizens began noticing Garcia’s splendid work with his magical dresses that transform from one style to another with just a twirl.
“That girl spinning around looked so happy, and almost as if it’s magic, the people watching her are cheered up too,” a Japanese user wrote, SoraNews24 translated.
“I want to return to my childhood for this,” another one wrote.
Gorgeous and colorful dresses are one thing, but a magical gown that transforms just by twirling is certainly special.
The magical dresses are priced from $299 to $329, depending on the piece and design.
Garcia also makes dresses for parents. Here are some of his works that are perfect for the moms and dads:
Featured Image via Instagram / Designerdaddy
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