A refreshed Rustan’s kids by a homegrown Rustan’s Kid
It seems like kismet that Criselda Lontok’s granddaughter is now designing for kids and grandkids under Rustan’s Kids. After all, she grew up hanging around the floor of Rustan’s, watching and playing while her iconic lola was working. “My grandmother was the type of person who wanted to be in the store, so I was in the store with her in my Assumption uniform,” she says.
Years later, she’s sitting in the midst of the holiday collection of the in-house brands of Rustan’s Kids, Rustanette (for girls) and Rustan Jr. (for boys), the first collection she worked on and designed — no longer a kid, but a 28-year-old designer. Her comfort, familiarity, and happiness around Rustan’s is clear as she walks around the store.
But it was quite a journey before she found herself here. Fernandez’ story started with her swimwear line called Alba Manila in 2018, and that experience made her want to get more technical with design. Once the pandemic hit, she and her partner hit pause on Alba and she started taking the online classes at SoFA. She then decided to take up fashion abroad. When she told her grandmother, she lamented, “‘Why would you leave? You could just work with me!’” Fernandez remembers. Of course, she understood where her Mamita was coming from. Criselda never studied abroad; in fact, she never went through any formal training. “She started in merchandising at Rustan’s in the ‘80s,” explains Fernandez. “Lola Glecy (Tantoco, founder of Rustan’s) told her, ‘I really like your eye, why don’t we do something in-house?’” Criselda’s amazing taste grew the brand to what it is today. “She was very visual,” says Fernandez. “She understood her customers very well; they were all her amigas!”
But Fernandez knew she was different. “I know I have the eye, but I want to know how everything is made, and that’s what will set me apart,” she shares. Criselda was very supportive, but she unfortunately passed away before Fernandez got her acceptance letter to ESMOD in Paris. But Fernandez knows she has her lola’s support until today, as well as the love of family and friends — including the Tantocos. “Tita Nedy Tantoco was actually helping me arrange (my studies) and supported me through that,” says Fernandez gratefully. Before she passed, Tantoco kindly told her that she had a place at Rustan’s when she returned.
Learning from Gen Alpha
Rustan’s president and CEO Anton Huang was the one who approached Fernandez and asked if she could do children’s wear, as he could see a big opportunity in that division. She did a trial collection and aside from a few sketches, she showed him some research and trend analysis to back her designs. But Fernandez has a lot ofexperience shopping at Rustan’s as well, and knew how Rustanette and Rustan Jr. had been very quiet for a long time. “It was only socks and underwear at one point!” she relates, and everything else was formal wear. She decided to look for that happy medium, to create an array of elevated basics, a selection of casual, sport, and comfortable occasion wear that will blend beautifully with the more elaborate pieces at Rustan’s Kids. Huang appointed her officially in June 2024, and she got to work immediately.
Her first step was getting to know Generation Alpha. With Criselda as her lola, Fernandez has had some experience being a well-dressed kid. “I definitely had some great outfits growing up!” she says proudly, recalling the dresses and outfits that her grandmother made for her and her sister. “But my key takeaway is they’re not dressing like when we were kids!” she says. “They have the Internet now, they get to look at their own styles and trends.” She considers her youngest sister (who is 13 years old) as her top counsel and guiding light while making her collection.
Collections within the collection
The reception has been good,” says Fernandez as she gestures to the racks of the holiday collection, and she’s incredibly happy to see everything finally come to life. Amazingly, she and the team produced three mini collections, all inspired by the joy of the holidays.
“Season’s Greetings” is all about the classic colors and motifs of the season, all crafted from tropical-friendly fabrics, while “Garden of Joy” was inspired by family Christmas reunions outdoors. “We’re in the tropics!” she exclaims. “In my head, it’s always garden parties, with the big lawn and the plastic tables!” She created shift dresses and bubble dresses in beautiful jacquard fabrics, satin accents, and playful appliques, in yellow, lilac, and pink. “I didn’t really want to do super Christmas-y colors with those,” she said. “At least these are something they can reach for again and again.”
Finally, the “Sundae’s Best” capsule is about sharp, stylish, yet comfortable basics in delicious pastels. One of the more unique pieces is the Alessa Sleeveless Button-Up Shirt, featuring a pilgrim collar and pleated bib detail. “It’s a little reminiscent of a grade school uniform, but I just really enjoy this more traditional look, and give it an update,” she shares. There are also comfortable wide-legged pants available for both boys and girls. “I want the kids to enjoy wearing our clothes even at the holiday party,” she adds.
Node to Criselda, Ode to Rustan’s
Now that the collection is out, she’s already thinking of the next one (“Christmas, for me, ended in August!” she jokes), but right now, she is enjoying seeing how people — both the parents and the kids — are liking her clothes. “What I really enjoy about being an in-house label is that we are the fastest to respond to what the customer wants,” she asserts. In fact, the move to refresh Rustanette and Rustan Jr. came from the shoppers’ requests. “The number one feedback was ‘the clothes are great, can you make it for our younger kids?’” she says.
And of course, when asked if she wanted to design for her lola’s brand, she grins. “I definitely would like to work my way there. I know I’m not prepared for that yet. Those are some very, very big shoes to fill.” In fact, when the latest collection for the Criselda launched recently, so many women were coming up to her at the event, showing off the pieces from many years ago that they’re still wearing. She can’t help but feel impressed and proud of Criselda’s legacy and impact. “I just want to be at the right stage of life also to take that on,” she says.
For now, it’s all about kids, and Fernandez chooses to honor her lola’s heritage by forging her own style, spirit, and energy into the racks of Rustanette and Rustan Jr. “I want this to be the first touch point of our future customers,” she declares. “I want them to understand — this is our quality, this is the reason why we’re the go-to, this is the reason why we’ve been around for so long.”
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Rustanette and Rustan Jr. are available in Rustan’s Makati, Alabang, and Shangri-La, and Cebu. For more information, visit @rustansph and @rustanskids on Facebook and Instagram or visit https://rustans.com/
