Filipina milliner and fashion designer Tracy Dizon was recently named as the 6th Round Kawaii Leader of the 2019 NHK World-Japan Kawaii International contest.
Dizon, 36, bested 250 other contestants from around the globe to win the title. From the Top 10 finalists, she won the final round through online voting.
As a Kawaii Leader, one of her tasks is to represent the kawaii culture and serve as a role model.
“Not only am I a kawaii girl, I am a kawaii mom as well. One may think that being kawaii can end when you have to be an adult, do serious and responsible things in life, but I will always be a kawaii girl, no matter how old I get,” Dizon said. “Kawaii culture has been one of my core aesthetics and brand identities. I like the playfulness spirit of kawaii culture that keeps me young at heart.”
Owner of the millinery brand “Tiaras by Tracy Dizon,” she has been an active member of the Philippine fashion industry and has taken part in some international fashion shows before permanently moving to New York City with her son Atreyu. Her brand is known for its quirky designs that shined with originality and out of the ordinary concepts.
Dizon has gone beyond just living the kawaii lifestyle, she also taught it as a university lecturer for Japan Studies with a focus on Japan Contemporary Arts and Fashion in UP Diliman and other universities in Manila.
She is set to visit Tokyo for a television feature on the program NHK Kawaii International.