In a Maria Clara-inspired dress by Michael Leyva on a state visit to Cambodia in 2025
Patrick Rosas has followed an unlikely path from discreet society makeup artist to head of the First Lady’s glam team, and eventually, an adviser helping develop her cultural projects. He has watched Liza Marcos evolve from a client who once called on him for makeup on special occasions to one of the country’s most influential women. She wielded soft power through culture, fashion, and heritage. A man of few words, Rosas has chosen a picture book to tell this story, tracing the style of a woman who was never particularly interested in fashion but has since used it to champion Filipino designers, weavers, and traditional craftsmanship.
Before she became First Lady, Louise Araneta Marcos, LAM or Liza to her circle, shunned the spotlight despite being married to a political Old Guard. She taught law, ran a private legal practice, and entertained at home with clockwork precision, running an elegant but carefully managed household. During her husband’s stint as Ilocos Norte governor in the 2000s, however, her fingerprints were already everywhere. She spearheaded full-scale cultural mapping, revived local inabel weaving, and turned Museo Ilocos Norte into a showcase for the province’s craft heritage. It was a preview of the cultural work she would later pursue on a national scale.
Meanwhile, she taught law at Northwestern University in Ilocos Norte while her husband was governor, and later at Mariano Marcos State University.
By the time Ferdinand Marcos Jr. launched his presidential bid, Liza had stepped into a more active role, becoming a driving force behind the campaign and overseeing her husband’s public appearances. When he was inaugurated as the country’s 17th president on June 30, 2022, she assembled a team with makeup artist Patrick Rosas. It included designers Paul Cabral and Michael Leyva. Rosas jokingly calls the group “gay-LAM team,” a play on the team’s gender and her initials.
LAM in Michael Leyva ‘terno’ with Paraguay President Santiago Peña and BBM in 2026
Liza had been one of his first clients, long before he came into the public eye in the late ’90s. He had already built a career dressing up magazine covers and photo shoots and preparing society figures for major balls.
Rosas’ route to makeup was unconventional. He had studied fashion illustration and fashion history at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, but eventually changed direction. He took makeup courses and began experimenting with makeup on friends. Designer Josie Natori, impressed by his deft touch and instinct for enhancing a person’s distinctive features, encouraged him to pursue it as a career. Over the years, Rosas earned the trust of prominent clients through his professionalism and discretion.
His relationship with Liza would eventually take him into a different kind of work. He was impressed by the First Lady’s portfolio, which covered social services, cultural heritage, and the restoration of public spaces and historic buildings. Among these was the Goldenberg Mansion, which was transformed into a venue for public and cultural activities.
“She asked me to help with some of her projects,” Rosas says. He suggested starting with fashion, knowing that a fashion show would draw a crowd: “Everyone wants to dress up.” He then tapped creatives to develop and produce a fashion series, followed by an art exhibit and, eventually, a music series.
The Office of the Social Secretary has continued the events. Rosas says the shows are independently produced and not funded by Malacañang. Proceeds go to charities chosen by the First Lady, including the Girl Scouts of Metro Manila, the Asian Cultural Council, and the National Museum.
“I’ve also supported the Girl Scouts for the longest time. They wanted to give me a green uniform. I’m practically an honorary member of the Girl Scouts, not the Boy Scouts,” he says.
Rosas has also co-founded Fashion Aid Philippines, a nonprofit that supports young talent in fashion, furniture, and accessory design through scholarships, product development assistance, and group exhibitions.
His work with the First Lady has taken on a more personal dimension. As her informal aide, he accompanies her to many events. “That’s why I have a barong and shoes ready in the car,” he says.
As her informal aide, he accompanies her to many events. ‘That’s why I have a barong and shoes ready in the car’
Four years of working alongside Liza have given Rosas a close view of how she approaches the role. He sees a First Lady whose work is centered on projects and public service rather than ceremonial appearances. Government agencies and partner organizations carry out the programs, while Liza lends her moral support.
“I was in awe of her charm and modernity as a First Lady. This isn’t the glamour era. She’s very practical and down-to-earth. That’s why I was so inspired to work with her. She’s so nice, cool, generous, and kind. She’s like a dear sister or mother to me. I wanted to give back,” he says.
Rosas says Liza has never been particularly interested in fashion. Her attention is on her work. “The First Lady is very busy working for the country and taking care of people. She has so much to give.”
Some of that work takes place away from the usual public engagements. Last October, she became the first sitting First Lady to visit the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa. Plans are now under way for a similar medical outreach for women at the Correctional Institution for Women, in collaboration with dermatologist Dr. Aivee Aguilar-Teo and volunteer physicians. These efforts tend to draw less attention than her official appearances.
“Hair, makeup, and fashion are not her priorities. She does those things because they’re part of her role as First Lady, but she loves teaching,” Rosas says.
‘Terno’ by Michael Leyva
Education remains part of Liza’s life. Since 2022, she has been on the faculty of West Visayas State University’s College of Law in Iloilo City, her father’s hometown, where she teaches Criminal Law and Civil Law Review.
Her interest in Filipino culture and craftsmanship has also continued from her earlier work in Ilocos Norte. Through Likha, she has created a trade platform that brings traditional artisans, weavers, and craftspeople together with local fashion designers, giving their work a wider market.
Her wardrobe has increasingly reflected this interest in indigenous textiles and Filipino design. For her husband’s inauguration, she wore a gown by Lesley Mobo made from vintage piña fabric and embroidered with Batangas calado. The gown is now part of the Philippine Embassy’s permanent cultural collection in Washington, D.C., which showcases Philippine textiles, design, and heritage.
For state functions with strict dress codes and color requirements, she relies on veterans Cabral and Leyva. In the end, however, the choices are hers. Liza knows what suits her and stays true to her aesthetic, Rosas says.
The book cover
To document her evolving style, Rosas produced Filipiniana: A Celebration of Filipino Fashion, Heritage, and Craftsmanship, a coffee-table book published by Manila Bulletin. It showcases everything from her ternos and modern Maria Claras to a simple T-shirt bearing the words Lab For All, the name of her healthcare initiative. It brings free laboratory tests, consultations, and medicines to underserved communities through mobile outreach caravans. Rosas says the First Lady is often seen in the Lab For All shirt and jeans when visiting.
Filipiniana is Rosas’s fourth book, a departure from his earlier publications. His debut, Images, published in the early 2000s, featured makeovers of personalities that channel famous people, photographed by Jun de Leon. Muse followed, with high-fashion editorial looks by the late Raymund Isaac. His third book, Rituals, published by ABS-CBN Publishing, brought together portraits of notable women by leading Philippine fashion photographers, showcasing his makeup artistry.
Putting the book together took two years. Rosas wanted a nonpolitical creative team, no easy task in a local industry where affiliations can quickly become a source of division. He presented the project as a book celebrating compassion and Filipino creativity, eventually bringing in photographer John Mayo, a former artist-in-residence at the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum and the first Filipino featured at the National Gallery in London, to shoot the fashion layouts.
Rosas wanted a nonpolitical creative team for the book, no easy task in a local industry where affiliations can quickly become a source of division
Mayo photographed the garments, while archival images from Malacañang showed Liza wearing them at official functions here and abroad. Each entry pairs the new photographs with images from the events, along with details about the garment’s materials and designer.
“It’s a historical record of what she wore and where,” Rosas says. But the book also celebrates the people behind the clothes. “It’s about Filipino talent, artistry, and weavers, and how these are incorporated into her outfits.”
Rosas’ work with the First Lady has also taken him to major international gatherings, including the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, APEC and ASEAN summits, and state visits. The trips have given him a closer look at how she conducts herself abroad and how other countries do things.
“After state trips, we talk about what we saw, what worked, what didn’t, and what we can apply back home. Sightseeing is rare,” he says.
LAM at the ASEAN Summit Spouses’ Program 2024 in Laos in a dress by Paul Cabral
One exception came in Brussels, when Liza spotted him in the hotel lobby and called out, “Wait for me.” She took him along to a famous chain store. They were heading to China, where winter temperatures are colder. She wanted to make sure they had the appropriate thermal clothing. Such gear, Rosas points out, was difficult to find in the Philippines.
In most trips, Liza is already prepared for the day, having had her hair and makeup done before stepping out. When overseas Filipinos recognize her and ask for photographs, she takes their phones and snaps the groufies herself.
“She is approachable, and that’s one reason people love her,” Rosas says.
On these trips, Rosas is accompanied by hairstylists Anton Toa or Marlon Suarez. Before each departure, Liza gives him a heads-up about the destination. “She requests, ‘Please take care of my wardrobe. We have a trip to India,’ or another destination. I prepare everything, then she checks and approves it. She likes things done quickly. She’s not a vain woman. Sometimes she takes only five minutes, even three minutes for makeup. I still work fast and with precision.”
The tightest turnaround comes aboard the presidential aircraft. Protocol officers alert the team shortly before landing, waking Rosas in his cabin seat. Armed with wireless tools and preheated rollers, he has five minutes to finish Liza’s hair and makeup before the aircraft touches down. The waiting reception party and Filipino community greet her. His work requires no retouching, leaving him and the rest of the team time to explore the city or have dinner before the next early call time.
Alternate book cover
The book ‘Filipiniana: A Celebration of Filipino Fashion, Heritage, and Craftsmanship’ and an exhibit of the First Lady’s formals will be launched on Nov. 4 at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila. Exhibit runs until Nov. 11.
