Filipino couturier gets Congressional award

HOLLYWOOD, California -- Filipino couturier Angelo Santos will receive the US Congressional Award for achievement for co-creating the first all organic and eco-friendly gown showcased at the recent Oscar Awards.

Actress Missi Pyle of "The Artist" wore the dress and was a red carpet favorite. It was also seen onstage when the cast accepted their Best Picture award. The gown was the winner in the red carpet green dress design contest.
"We're going to get a US Congressional Award for Achievement in making the first eco-friendly dress worn by an actress at the Oscars." he said.

Santos has worked at the most-watched daily soap opera, “The Bold and the Beautiful" since 2001. He is part of the design team that has won three Emmy awards for the outfits they make on the show.

Santos works at the CBS studio wardrobe department. He creates costumes for the characters.

Though he studied nursing when he first immigrated from Tarlac to America in 1980, Santos made a big decision to follow his heart and took a chance to go into fashion design, his dream as a child growing up in the Philippines.

Santos honed his craft and studied to be rightly called a couturier.

“You can be a fashion designer without proper training. But a couturier-- if you notice the old couturiers like Christian Dior, Balenciaga, Chanel, they don't call themselves fashion designers. You have to be trained in couture,” Santos explained.

He has dressed many Hollywood stars and his creations were part of the Emmy awards exhibit in 2006.