Aoui Regala. Photo courtesy of Aoui Regala Atelier
Through an atelier she built from the ground up, the Filipino designer’s entrepreneurial success story is about strategy, grit, and self-discipline
If there was a quote that helped bridal and couture designer Aoui Regala stay the course, it’s: “A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.” More than just a mantra, it became her mindset. Today, her label, Aoui Regala Atelier, is known for handcrafted bridalwear and has appeared in British Vogue, Glamour, Tatler UK, and Vanity Fair.
While her namesake atelier is what she’s known for, Regala’s career is only one part of a much larger business journey. Outside the studio, she quietly flips properties, manages rentals, co-runs a brokerage, and helps fund small businesses, all while remaining hands-on with her atelier’s patterns and clientele from around the world.
None of this came easy. Raised in a household of entrepreneurs working in healthcare and manufacturing, Regala understood business early, but fashion (and what would’ve been a foray into business) was definitely off-limits. “[My father] was serious when he said that [if] I were to pursue this career and business, he [would] not give me a single cent to fund it,” she candidly recalls.
So, she worked around it. She studied Advertising Fine Arts at the University of Santo Tomas, knowing, secretly, that the program included a year of fashion design. It was a quiet act of rebellion, one that allowed her to stay close to her passion while still following a path her father approved of.
Her background in fashion taught her discipline and structure while her shift into real estate also taught her scale. From managing rental units to flipping properties in key areas, Regala applies the same attention to proportion, restraint, and long-term thinking that shaped her design ethos: “I never mix any money from another business in my atelier. It’s a huge no for me. The progress of my brand is attained through the atelier’s profit.”
Alongside her husband, she co-manages a growing portfolio that includes 7 Prime Property Corp (a real estate brokerage), a micro-financing company that aims to support small businesses grow, and a number of investment properties that are rented, flipped or held depending on the market. They have even become partners in a school.
Regala carefully tracks everything, planning for both growth and stability. “I take risks, but I study and prepare a lot before venturing into anything to avoid big losses,” she says. “For me it’s not about the loudest, fanciest or biggest-looking business. I’m not facade-focused.”
Despite maintaining a low-key presence, Regala says her atelier remains her “passion business.” She still designs and works closely with her brides. She’s also candid about the realities of balancing her art and entrepreneurship: “Never ever lose the art and integrity in your brand. Even if the business grows and succeeds, never chill too much. It’s literally like having a child you have to grow and take care [of].”
More than anything, Regala hopes her story resonates with creatives working in less-than-supportive environments and that success is still possible. “If you are passionate about something, even if you are the only one who can see your vision, trust it passionately and succeed against all odds.”
For more information, visit Aoui Regala Atelier’s official website.
