Inno Sotto

Inno Sotto is a Filipino fashion designer known for his work in contemporary Philippine couture, his mentorship of emerging designers, and his involvement in cultural programs promoting the Filipino terno. Active since the late 1970s, he has presented couture and ready-to-wear collections in the Philippines and abroad, held leadership roles in designer organizations, and collaborated on heritage-centered fashion projects. In 2021, he was nominated for the National Artist Award for Fashion Design.

Early life and education Sotto originally intended to pursue architecture but became interested in fashion after assisting designer Christian Espiritu during a visit to Manila. He spent parts of his early life in Manila and the United States, and has said that early exposure to fashion shows influenced his career path.

He pursued a liberal arts course at the University of San Francisco and later studied fashion at the San Francisco School of Fashion and Design and at Parsons School of Design in New York.

Career

1970s–1990s Sotto began working in Manila’s fashion industry in the late 1970s. He opened his couture atelier in Malate in 1981 and later co-founded the Filipino Designers Group, serving as its president in 1987. That year, he presented his first major solo show, Inno Sotto: SOLO, at the Manila Hotel.

2000s In 2002, Sotto presented a couture collection during Unilever's Pond's event at the Manila Peninsula. In 2004, president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo appointed him UNESCO Commissioner for Arts and Culture. He later collaborated with French perfumer Charabot on the fragrance line Inno Sotto Mondo (ISM). Rustan Commercial Corporation later named him creative director. He and Richard Tann developed Fashion Watch, a designer presentation series revived in 2011. He served as a judge for the Preview Emerging Fashion Talent Awards in 2013 and became a head mentor for StyleFestPH in 2019.

2020s Sotto continued his involvement in terno education through TernoCon from 2017 onward.

Notable collections Sotto has presented several major couture and ready-to-wear collections, including Inno Sotto: SOLO (1987), Luxe Wear – Numerals (1989), Inno Sotto: Filipino (1993–1994), Made to Dream (1998), Rituals (1999), Two Decades of Modern Philippine Couture (1999), Around the Moon: Five Women (2002), Beloved (2005), Allegra under the Pink Sky of the Secret Garden (2006), and Alhambra (2007).

Mentorship Sotto has served as a mentor, juror, or program leader for TernoCon, PEFTA,

Awards and recognition Sotto's recognitions include the Most Outstanding Designers Competition award (1980), the Outstanding Filipino Designer Award from the City of Manila (1988), the Evian Millennium Award (1999),

Philanthropy Sotto has staged charity-centered presentations supporting various causes. In 1992, he staged Inno Sotto: Anno XV gala for the Maria Lena Buhay Memorial Foundation. In 1993, he produced Inno Sotto: Filipino under the Cabinet Ladies Foundation to raise funds for the country’s first AIDS center. In 1999, he presented Two Decades of Modern Philippine Couture to support the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, followed by the restaging of Around the Moon as a benefit for the Amade–Virlanie Foundation. He later staged Beloved with performers from the Metropolitan Opera in New York to raise funds for the Virlanie Foundation.

Personal life Sotto’s long-term partner, Richard Tann, died in 2005. He later became the primary guardian of Joseph Marco, the grandson of his longtime caregiver. Beyond his design work, Sotto has supported humanitarian initiatives and has served as a goodwill ambassador for the Philippine National Red Cross. His charitable involvement includes organizations supporting children and vulnerable communities.