The art of celebration

What does it take to be a renowned event stylist, according to Gideon Hermosa

- JOHN ROLAND LEGASPI

Being an event stylist requires not just knowing what makes a good celebration-ambiance, food, music, and style-but also having the skill to make these elements sing in harmony. This is something Gideon Hermosa has mastered.

While studying Hotel and Restaurant Management at the University of Baguio, Gideon worked on various projects for classmates and friends, many of them are for free. His first task was to transform a humble venue for a housemate's wedding.

During his time in Baguio, he would also check and collect the Manila Bulletin's People and Parties pages, a section for society events, galas, balls, and life milestones. Little did he know that the spaces he would one day curate and transform would become the settings for some of the most talkedabout events in the industry.

"Back then, 'event designer' wasn't even a term people used," Gideon says. "But I knew, even from the start, that I wanted to shape experiences, to build beauty with meaning.

It wasn't just about making things look nice. It was about making people feel something. That instinct has never left me."