Follow Rhea Ornias for a Drop of Romanticism

Filipino-born, Australia-based fashion designer, artist, and brand couturier Rhea Ornias has creativity bursting out of her. With five years of studies in architecture and more than 10 years of expertise in fashion behind her, she’s also a writer and poet, with her illustrations often accompanied with short, romantic poems. In other words: Ornias is a true Renaissance woman, who enjoys the juxtaposition of different mediums and aesthetic fields.

Like most creatives, Ornias traces back her passion for the arts to her early childhood. “When I was 3 years old, I saw my aunt who was taking up architecture, painting a teardrop for her visual class,” she recalled in an interview with I Love Illustration. It was then, as she watched the way in which the brushstroke and oil color came to life, that the creative seeds were planted. “From then on, I fell in love with the arts especially painting,” she notes.

As a trained fashion designer with a background in architecture, Ornias’ styles tends to blend masculinity with a drop of romanticism. Her affair with writing came a little later, with her interest in branding most recent. “My poetry is about finding your authentic self, amidst chaos in this world,” she explains. “I hope it will inspire self- love and courage not to sell out the dream. Life is more than being liked.”

With her collaborative work, Ornias’ mission is to support intentional individualism and make a mark through the materials she puts forward. A fan of Jane Austin, Elizabeth Gilbert, Heston Blumenthal, and Rupi Kaur, her work will have you mystified.