Waterfront's Staff Outfitted by Country's Top Fashion Designers

CEBU, Philippines - Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino makes a bold statement with its new lineup of staff uniforms. Created by Rajo Laurel, Philip Rodriguez and Elaine Cooper, this updated collection has been described as “edgy yet refined.” 

Rajo, one of the country’s most celebrated designers known for his understated glamour, designed the uniforms of the Engineering, Housekeeping, and Front Office staff. His designs were inspired by the movie GATTACA, a 1997 flick that depicted the world as a modern utopia. The characters were indeed visions of tailoring perfection in muted tones. “Gray is the new black,” Rajo declares. “I love the modernity of the color and its chic appeal.”

Never one to be predictable, he adds a splash of color to the aesthetic using “...very graphic lines for the uniforms with bold splashes of yellow amidst various shades of gray.” Each detail has been carefully pored over. Oversized belts on the ladies and bold yellow accents on the men anchor the eye and give a structured feel. Rajo wants to generate “the overall feeling of sharpness while keeping in mind the functionality of the design.”

Philip, known for his timeless pieces that he is able to deliver with a current feel, creates a remarkable line of “modern classics” for the hotel’s Food and Beverage outlets. His amazing ability to combine elements from the past with modern details is evident in Waterfront’s new Tin Gow uniforms which take the form of traditional Chinese cheongsams but use bold colors like fuchsia, neon green and blue. In a previous interview, he mentions that: “The person must wear the dress, not be worn by the dress,” making it clear that his pieces can be strikingly attractive without being overwhelming.

Donning Elaine Cooper’s designs is the Admin division of the hotel, whose new uniforms can be summed up in one phrase: the contemporary tailored look. Cebu-based Cooper says that this collection was a “play of grays” - combining neutrals like charcoal and ash gray with purple and other accents.

This new look is part of Waterfront’s vision to give a fashionable boost to its image and its employees, believing that confidence is also brought from the outside in. “When employees feel good about themselves, they can’t help but manifest this in their service and attitude to the customers,” says Waterfront GM Marco Protacio.

This is the second collaboration between the designers and the hotel, a partnership that has only gotten better - and chicer - with time.