Meet Nephi Garcia, a California-based Filipino fashion designer who’s been catapulted social media stardom by his stunning creations.
It all began in 2015, when he and his family were planning a trip to Disney World. His 6-year-old daughter, Lili, requested her dad to make a costume she could wear to the park. The dad-of-three obliged and exceeded expectations with a stunning Fairy Godmother costume made with scrap fabrics—which wowed their fellow park goers.
A photo posted by Designer Daddy (@designerdaddy_) on
“Everybody was complimenting her and everybody was asking, ‘Oh my god, does she have an Instagram account?’” the creative dad recounted to the Huffington Post.
The next day, he put up the Instagram account, Designer Daddy, through which he received 10 orders. Their simple theme park outing led to a thriving business venture.
A video posted by Designer Daddy (@designerdaddy_) on
One of his first costumes were that of Cinderella. When recreating some of the Disney film’s iconic dresses, Garcia made use of wires to make the birds appear like they’re flying. “I altered the birds’ wings to make them look like they were flying,” he revealed.
A photo posted by Designer Daddy (@designerdaddy_) on
Check out more of Nephi’s awesome creations on the next page!
Nephi has been designing for nine years, focusing his craft mainly on high-end fashion. “But once I had kids, it started to feel like the industry wasn’t really working for me,” Garcia told BuzzFeed. “I try to make costumes that go outside of the box.”
The creative dad also shared that it takes about four to six hours to make one of his children’s costumes.
One his most inspired designs is a Belle costume that transforms into her iconic yellow ball gown in just one twirl!
A video posted by Designer Daddy (@designerdaddy_) on
A video posted by Designer Daddy (@designerdaddy_) on
“Lili really loves the transformation dresses,” the dad-of-three told Buzzfeed. “And my son really loves to be dressed as the villains, especially Gaston.”
A photo posted by Designer Daddy (@designerdaddy_) on
Check out more of Nephi’s awesome creations on the next page!
“My daughter really wants me to make a frog costume that turns into a Tiana ballgown,” he shared. “And my wife suggested that I make a Princess Aurora dress that starts with her peasant dress, transforms into her pink dress, and then transforms into her blue dress.”
His dream, however, is to be able to share them with the world.
A photo posted by Designer Daddy (@designerdaddy_) on
“I hope that someday I can make costumes for Broadway shows or live-action movies,” he gushed. “But I will never give up making pieces for people who are not in the industry — I like to give them quality outfits that they can’t get anywhere else.”
A photo posted by Designer Daddy (@designerdaddy_) on
And Garcia makes adult-sized costumes, too–which are no less adorable. “An adult dress can take anywhere from 12 to 48 hours of work,” he revealed.
“I don’t charge cheaply, but I also don’t deliver a cheap product,” he said, priding himself in using quality materials, shipped from Europe. His children’s costumes start at about $600, while his creations for adults begin at $1,800.
“I hate repeating designs, so I always try to vary each dress so that they’re unique,” he told Buzzfeed, assuring his growing following to always expect something fresh and exciting from the talented designer and devoted dad.
A photo posted by Designer Daddy (@designerdaddy_) on
For more of Nephi Garcia’s stunning creations, follow Designer Daddy on Instagram.
Be sure to check out theAsianparent Community for more insightful stories, questions, and answers from parents and experts alike. If you have any insights, questions or comments regarding the topic, please share them in our Comment box below.
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