Sari-Sari Store, all Filipino clothes merchandiser, teams up with designer Michelle Lim to dress up the modern bride, in a partnership that is said to be, "Made in Heaven." The bridal line, simply called, "Michelle Lim for Sari-Sari." Complement the In-House "Okasyon" line for special-occasion outfits. Almost instantly, Lim's bridal numbers were noticed. "We've had clients who were on such rush, they bought dresses for the entire wedding off the rack!" the designer relates. With price tags as low as P1,000.00 and a Piña piece going for P5,000.00, that was certainly money well-spent.
Embroidery, hand painting and dyeing are Lim's specialties. Her experimentations with dyed Piña and Jusi have yielded glowing results. In hot and hip colors like mint green, and fuchsia, the fabrics have been introduced to younger crowds.

{ MOD VOL. XXXIII NO. 1563; September 2001 Issue; p15 }

Theirs was a perfect union made in fashion heaven.
Teaming up with innovative bridal designer Michelle Lim, Sari-Sari unveils a new line of exquisitely crafted formal dresses especially (and exclusively) designed for today's Filipina.
Complementing Sari-Sari's Okasyon line, the simply dubbed Michelle Lim for Sari-Sari marks a welcome development for today's busy career girls who are searching for "high quality yet reasonably priced" dresses to wear on special occasions.

Michelle, whose business background complements her passion for fashion, is a self-confessed Sari-Sari Girl herself.

Here, she talks about her own odyssey as a fashion designer and her new partnership with Sari-Sari:

Your background seems very far from fashion.
My course in college was Economics. But after my classes at the University of Sto. Tomas, I took a fashion design course three times a week, at the Premier School of Fashion in Makati. At first, I thought it was just a hobby. But I learned so many things: designing, pattern-making, sewing, window display, merchandising. After graduation, I took the usual business route and worked in a bank.

Why did you join Sari-Sari?
When I was in my teens, my whole closet was filled with clothes by Sari-Sari. I've always been a Sari-Sari fan. So I was very happy when I finally got to meet and work with them for a fashion show at The Fort in December 1999.

What brought you and Sari-Sari together?
We noticed that there was a demand for off-the-rack, formal clothes that are elegantly beaded and embroidered but are affordably priced.
We have formal dresses for as low as P1,000 plus. And our most expensive item costsP5,000, but that's made of piña.
In fact, we've had clients on a rush who bought dresses for the entire wedding entourage from us. We offer alterations free of charge.

Sari-Sari also does made-to-order wedding dresses. What do you keep in mind when designing for a Filipino Bride?
Personal touch is very important because each bride is unique.
That's why it's imperative for me to meet with the bride, to chat with her, and get to know her better. We set all bridal appointments at the Rockwell Power Plant Store, because there's a Sari-Sari Café there. It's very convenient. Working girls can even have their fittings on their lunch break.

What's the best fashion advice you can give to brides shopping for gowns?
Oftentimes I ask the client to fit different clothes - to find out which fabrics, cuts and colors flatter her and make her glow.
Because of our unique skin tone, not all Filipino brides look radiant in white. Some Filipinas look mere stunning in ecru, silver, champagne, or beige.

What are your plans with Sari-Sari?
Eventually, Sari Sari Power Plant will also offer hard-to-find wedding accessories as gloves and tiaras. Thus, it will involve into a one-stop Wedding Store.
To further popularize their unique wedding concept, Sari-Sari will be mounting its very own mini Bridal Fair in three malls at the Fountain Area fronting Page One at Rockwell's Power Plant, Glorietta 3 Hallway and inside Sari-Sari SM Megamall Branch.
We want to cater to the needs of December and January brides. Most Filipinos choose to get married in the holiday months, not June.