March 15, 2020 is the day that Bacolod City declared a lockdown to prevent people from other places from crossing the borders. We were trying to contain the Covid-19 infections in the city plus keeping further contaminants away. Many opportunities were lost. Among the hardest hit was the tourism and events industry. Mommy Jes Dakila, also an established Bacolod fashion designer, tells us about emerging from the crisis with fashion, style, and flair. She is another resilient Pinay mom who will surely inspire us. Read more.
Fighting and Emerging from the Crisis Brought by the Covid-19 Pandemic
The unprecedented and depressing year 2020 proved to be the most challenging for everyone. And it is no big news that the wedding and events industry was among the sectors that have been badly affected.
Bacolod City was once the center of grand weddings and parties, hence the pandemic created by Covid-19 has caused a lot of jobless wedding suppliers. Their staff was also affected, too.
Many wedding gown suppliers, including Jes Dakila Atelier, were caught in the web of losses caused by cancellation of events.
Owned by Bacolod mom Jes Dakila, the Atelier’s operations had to be paused for a while at the beginning of the pandemic. They canceled appointments that were booked in advance in compliance with the government’s ordinance to battle this pandemic.
As everyone felt helpless with the lack of medical supplies in the city, Mommy Jes rolled up her sleeves and started helping. The atelier shifted from sewing wedding gowns to PPEs.
In their own little way, they want to help cover the shortage of protective equipment in the city. Plus, it also helped generate income for the staff who are housed in the workshop.
PPE Outreach Project: Sourcing More Materials
Due to the rising demand for PPEs and the lack of supply, Mommy Jes appealed to her Facebook friends for funding. They needed more materials so that they could produce more PPE for medical staff.
Thanks to the positive response of the people around her circle, including other wedding gown designers, their team was able to collect enough funds for another batch of PPEs. These were then distributed to low-budget hospitals where workers really need protective gear. “The help coming from different places inside and outside the country was overwhelming,” Mommy Jes relates.
She also added that during those uncertain times last year, she admired the unity of the wedding suppliers. Despite all their losses, they worked together to extend help to the medical frontliners.
Releasing Her Staff Due to the Pandemic
As the pandemic continued after 3 months, the atelier had to send most of her in-house staff home, as finances started to tighten. Payments were being pushed back and inquiries on bridal gowns were very scarce.
Mommy Jes admitted that the future of the atelier was very alarming. She didn’t know whether she could bounce back again. Plus, she had her family to think of, too.
What she knew was that she had to trust God. She let go, believing that in His time, everything will be brought back together. As to when that will happen, only God knows.
Reinventing and Adapting
Due to some creative financial maneuvers in order to save, Mommy Jes was able to save the jobs of half of her staff.
During the days in quarantine, they started to create simple dresses and gowns just to keep the atelier afloat.
Thankfully, the Covid-19 positive cases in Bacolod started to decrease eventually. So after the quarantine was lifted, inquiries on bridal gowns started to come in. Some couples even pushed through with their wedding in 2020 while following strict safety protocols.
During this time, a new trend emerged so Mommy Jes’ creativity was also challenged. But she also thought that this might be a good time for emerging from the crisis.
Traditional wedding gowns were set aside in favor of simple lines for intimate wedding ceremonies. Designers like Mommy Jes have adopted and applied their artistry to still make simple yet elegant wedding dresses in order to make the event special for the bride.
The Making of Mireio
With most people are staying safely at home, social media has been the main platform of communication. It is also the way that people got updated about happenings. Mommy Jes thought that this would be the ideal time to release her newest collection — Mireio.
After almost one year of planning, this Bacolod-based wedding gown designer decided that this is the perfect time to bring something new to the wedding industry.
Mommy Jes wanted to showcase something unique, fun, and creative to inspire future brides who have been planning for their dream wedding dress. Moreover, she wanted to share ideas with the modern brides who are looking for possible designs and textures to complete their childhood dream wedding dress.
From the sketch, the selection of textiles, planning, and finally the execution of the long-anticipated collection, Mommy Jes was hands-on. Everything was carefully thought out. Every item in Mireio mirrors the highest care that goes along with the process of making each dress.
Laborious Work with Love and Passion
The process of developing Mireio had been tough for Mommy Jes and her staff. But despite that, everyone had a good time, too. They were all thrilled and excited to put their hands on the execution of the designs where the magic happens.
The dresses feature sleek lines and soft silhouettes that speak of the modern woman. It is like Mommy Jes emerging from the crisis while maintaining her strength, character, and femininity.
Contact Information
Most of the pieces under the Mireio collection are ready-to-wear for brides who need wedding dresses ASAP. But Mommy Jes can still cater to high-end, custom-made preferences of the bride.
Contact Mommy Jes from her details below.
Jes Dakila Atelier
Unit 5, NT Townhouse, Lizares St., Bacolod City
Mobile: (0917) 1748556
Facebook Page: Jes Dakila Atelier
Galing naman niya. Nakaka inspire yong ganyang babae maabilidad tska may fashion sense pa. Sana all po may talent maging fashion designers..
Wow.. Another inspirational stories from Mommy Jes Dakila.. Isang malaking paghanga po.. Lalo na sa panahon ngaun pero naipagtuloy nya padin ang Love and passion nya sa paggawa ng kanyang mga masterpiece wedding gowns
Love the story of mommy Jes. Truly inspiration po ang kanyang mga ginawang actions ng nagsimula ang lockdown. Tumulong siyang gumawa ng mga PPE para sa mga frontliners po natin.
Another inspirational and informative blog post ❤️ Thank you so much for sharing Mommy Sig.
ang gaganda ng mga agwa iya mommy despite of pandemic ang bongga ng mga design ng damit
Kudos to Mommy Jes Dakila. hndi sya ngdalwang isip n tumulong. Instead of sewing/creating/designing wedding gowns gumawa SyA Ng PPE for the Frontliners. Saludo po tlaga ko s mga ganitong klaseng Tao. Napaka generous. S panahon po tlaga Ng crisis kahit halos hirap Ang Lahat may Isa tlaga na aangat at tutulong. Maraming Salamat po Mam Jes. Godbless you more po
This is all about passion,love of chosen crafts,everyone’s business really had to strive this pandemic,the only thing that outstanding are your perseverance