Edwin Ao
INSTRUCTOR

Edwin Ao is a Cebu-based fashion designer, artist, and design educator with over two decades of experience in fashion and design. A graduate of the University of San Carlos in Cebu City, where he earned a degree in Fine Arts major in Advertising, Ao has established a distinctive practice in contemporary menswear and womenswear, characterized by structural precision, innovative tailoring, and an experimental approach to materials and form.

A member of the Fashion and Design Council of the Philippines, Ao has represented Philippine fashion in international competitions and exhibitions in Paris, Singapore, Tokyo, Malaysia, and Thailand. His design practice explores the intersection of fashion, art, and materiality, often incorporating unconventional materials, textile manipulation, and contemporary interpretations of Filipino aesthetics.

His academic practice is grounded in the belief that design education should encourage experimentation, critical thinking, and the exploration of material possibilities. Through collaborative and hands-on learning, he challenges students to translate ideas into tangible design outcomes while developing their individual creative voices.