Monique Lhuillier

Monique Lhuillier is a well-known Filipino fashion designer who specializes in bridal wear. She grew up with one sister and two brothers in Cebu City, where she was born in 1971 to Michel J. Lhuillier and Amparito Llamas. Her father was born in a French colony in Vietnam at the time. Her father is a jeweler, an estate buyer, and an ambassador, while her mother used to be a model. When Monique was small, her parents used to tell her that she couldn't wear black. Her mother sewed her own and her daughters' clothes, and she became so good at it that she launched a little business out of her home.

Monique landed a job at Melivier, a sportswear firm, after graduation, but discovered that the employment did not encourage creative or artistic thinking. She quit her job and went on a wedding buying frenzy when the pair agreed to marry. Monique was surprised to notice the absence of fashionable bridal dresses while visiting and scouring boutiques for the perfect wedding dress. Monique used her design skills and sketched 25 outfits for her friends and family to wear at her wedding party, despite finding a garment that matched her expectations to some level. The Ritz Carlton in California hosted Monique and Bugbee's reception. Monique debuted her first bridal collection in 1996, with the financial backing of her parents, as a result of her goals and passion for bridal and evening gowns.