Inside Isabella Fernandez’s home: her essentials

Fashion designer and creative Isabella Fernandez brings precision to whimsy in her selected home pieces

Fashion designer and creative Isabella Fernandez shapes heritage with precision, translating lineage into a contemporary vocabulary of form and proportion. A graduate of ESMOD (École supérieure des arts et techniques de la mode) in Paris and granddaughter of the late Criselda Lontok, she stands at the intersection of tradition and modernity; a designer fluent in both refinement and reinvention.

At the helm of Rustanette and Rustan Jr, Fernandez brings couture discipline to children’s wear, crafting pieces defined by clarity, structure and a certain quiet authority. Her aesthetic is measured yet forward-looking; confident in restraint, exacting in detail and unmistakably her own.

This feature turns the lens inward, exploring Isabella Fernandez’s favourite pieces at home. These are objects that echo her philosophy of design: composed, deliberate and alive with meaning. Each item reveals how taste and memory converge in the private world of a creative mind who edits with conviction.

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Above Fashion designer and creative Isabella Fernandez

Fashion designer and creative Isabella Fernandez

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Criselda Lontok’s Portrait

My Mamita was a larger-than-life fashion icon, being a tenured designer for over 40 years before she passed away in 2021. When she passed, we were left with several of her beautiful glamour portraits, but this one called to me. This photograph is so much closer to how I remember her: a woman who sat in quiet contemplation early in the morning, doing her devotional practice, and working on her next big idea at the dining table. She’s a big part of who I am today as a designer and as a person, so it comforts me to have her watching over me.

Above A portrait of the late Criselda Lontok

A portrait of the late Criselda Lontok

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Printed lampshade

My mum, Julie Boschi, made this lampshade out of some beautiful fabric she found while travelling. It’s a small piece of her home that I’ve brought into mine.

Above Lamp designed by Julie Boschi

Lamp designed by Julie Boschi

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Opera posters

A favourite thing I’ve learned to bring home from a trip is prints from street markets. These are posters my mum collected in Paris, where I coincidentally ended up doing my fashion studies a few years later. I have many more I haven’t gotten around to framing!

Above Opera posters remind Isabella of her time in Paris

Opera posters remind Isabella of her time in Paris

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Golden self-portrait

I painted this as a fresh graduate, when my path wasn’t incredibly clear. All I knew was that I wanted to create, to make things with my hands. This painting is a little promise to dedicate myself to art in one way or another. I would love to tell the version of me who painted this about who I am today and the beautiful pieces I’ve been making.

Above Self portrait by Fernandez

Self portrait by Fernandez

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Trese Collection

I’m a big pop culture nerd, and maybe an even bigger history nerd. I love the Trese series and the way the authors incorporated Filipino folklore into modern life. I also love a strong female main character, and firmly believe that choosing to fill my space with stories of strong women energises me to be the same.

Above Fernandez’s collection of ‘Trese’ literature

Fernandez’s collection of ‘Trese’ literature

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Monkey candelabras

I absolutely love animal iconography around the house. Monkeys are especially lucky for me in feng shui beliefs, as they’re considered a close ally to my sign, the Rat. I like the effect of old, melted candles. It adds so much character when an item is used lovingly.