Furne One, the Dubai based designer and owner of brand, Amato Haute Couture, has never been in higher demand. Celebrated for his natural ability to craft extravagant and artistic designs, Furne has quickly made his way up the fashion ladder as one of the most hotly anticipated fashion designers on the global fashion stage.
Furne One, originally from the Philippines, was mesmerized by fashion from an early age and having inherited his mother and Grandmother’s love for beautiful clothes he began sketching at the age of ten.
Furne One’s first foray into the fashion world saw him win the MEGA Magazine Young Designer of the Philippines Award in 1994; a competition judged by well respected fashion movers and shakers including Josie Natori (founder of New York’s The Natori Company). Natori saw Furne’s potential and offered him an apprenticeship at his New York design house. It was here that Furne was able to further explore and indulge his passion for fashion and he hasn’t looked back.In the same year, Furne also scooped the first prize at Japan’s Women’s Wear Awards and just three years later he went on went on as a finalist at Manila’s Fashion Designer Awards.
In 2002, Furne opened his first boutique, Amato, meaning “beloved”, in Dubai to provide his elite clientele with an unrivaled array of hand stitched designs and intricately detailed creations. Known for his creative flair, Furne’s design credentials soon saw him inundated with offers for his work.
In 2007, Swarovski commissioned Furne to design a sumptuous glittering bridal dress which featured
in their limited edition book, Unbridaled. Furne’s collaboration with Swarovski did not end there and he has since partnered with the brand to produce show stopping collections for their Crystalised Swarovski Elements events showcased at Dubai’s Burj Al Arab Hotel and the One & Only, Royal Mirage.
In 2008 Furne’s imaginative creations caught the eye of the European fashion elite at Germany’s Next Top Model with supermodel Heidi Klum and he was invited to be a special guest designer in the shows season finale. The tremendous response to his collections resulted in a reprise of his role for the following three years, rocketing Furne One onto fashion’s centre stage and firmly on the way to super stardom. In 2011 Amato Couture will once again dazzle fans of Germany’s Next Top Model in a show stopping fashion parade at LA’s renowned Kodak Theatre as the season comes to a close.
A regular on the catwalks at fashion weeks in Dubai, Miami, where he was awarded Miami and Moda Music Awards Designer’s Choice Award in 2009, Los Angeles and most recently London, Furne is one of the most desirable new talents in the fashion world and has since been receiving requests to design bespoke garments from all over the globe.
Furne’s long list of celebrity commissions includes designing gowns for Joan Collins to wear in the Hong Kong edition of Harpers Bazaar, the German actress, Jenny Elbertzhagen, which won Best Dress at the Leipzigen Operaball in 2008 and the costume worn by Mariella Graefin von Faber-Castell for her performance as the leading lady in Hugo von Hoffmannsthal’s critically acclaimed play, Jedermann.
2011 will be a monumental year for the talented designer as he continues to amaze his fans with his fairy tale creations. He will be opening his first Amato showrooms outside of the UAE in New York and LA and has already signed up to dress a number of a number of stars stateside including Pamela Anderson for her appearance at xxx, supermodel and actress Kaki West in her new reality TV show and Tina Padley xxxx.
When asked about the keys to his success, Furne shares that it’s about diligence. "Hard work and diligence. But, you know, there are so many talented designers everywhere so I think you also need a little luck. Being in the right place at the right time. I was lucky," he said with a smile.