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Mode Elle opens academy for dreamers

Most often than not, children already know what they want to be when they grow up when adults ask them about their dreams. As they say, aspire big and start young.
Aaron Dela Cruz Collection

Armed with talent, determination and proper guidance, young dreamers may well be on their way to success. Fortunately for those who want to be part of the entertainment industry, there is a school that can help them hone their skills and discover other talents as well.

The House of Mode Elle, a fashion house that caters to talented young artists, recently launched the Mode Elle Academy which is open to kids as young as two years old. Courses offered include modeling, acting, singing, dancing, personality development, makeup and photography. The students will be categorized in three sections, two to 10 years old for kids, 11 to 15 years old for teens, and 16 to 29 years old for adults.
Kids model of House of  Mode Elle

Upon enrollment, students automatically receive lessons in modeling and personality development. The aspiring artists will undergo 25 sessions but may also avail of the unlimited sessions if they wish to. Tall ones get to have an advantage as the academy offers scholarship to girls who are 5’7” (and up) tall, and boys who are 5’10” (and up) in height.
A Mode Elle model student wearing a
Michael Sta. Maria creation

Many experts will share their knowledge to the students and inculcate values and skills in them. The team of instructors will be headed by House of Mode Elle founder Allen Castillo, who has been training models for years and is also a theater actor from the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA). Castillo will handle modeling, acting and personality development courses.

Other instructors are Bong Lee for makeup, Ojie Ramos, Jolie Navia and Champy Cachola for advanced photography, Joanne Co of Kids at Work and Marc Alcala for acting, Jenny Saavedra of UP Music and Yamaha Music School for singing, and Christine Feliciano and Airalyn Dimapilis for dancing.

But for Mode Elle, beauty is not just skin-deep. The "fashion house with a heart" is what the House of Mode Elle has been called since its inception in 2012 because it was built for a charitable cause. As a cancer survivor himself, Castillo knows how hard it is to cope with such condition. His condition awakened compassion within him and led him to do volunteer work.
Mode Elle student models with the founder
Allen Castillo
Castillo visited halfway homes and met other people suffering from cancer. They were just kids, trying to live each day, hoping a miracle will happen. The fight against cancer is a non-stop battle that not all patients can endure but with the support of family, friends and even strangers who are willing to lend a helping hand, the struggle may become a little bit more bearable.

Castillo knew he had to do something and hence, the House of Mode Elle was born. Castillo believes that promoting beauty inside and out is the right way to go. True to its mission to promote beauty while helping cancer-stricken children, the media presentation of the Mode Elle Academy kicked off with a fashion show for a cause, featuring 170 Mode Elle talents who were clad in clothes design by professional fashion designers.
Designed by a 14 year old girl, Chenee Abunda

Adam Balasa’s wedding creation

Ticket sales were donated to the beneficiaries of Tahan Tahanan in Quezon City and Child Haus in Manila, two non-governmental organizations that provide temporary shelter to kids with cancer and other non-communicable diseases and their families.

“We give scholarships to kids with cancer who want to be artists and models. One of the cancer survivors that we trained is Chantal Rivera. She has performed in some of our past events. We also give medications and other hospital necessities for these kids suffering from cancer,” disclosed Castillo. 

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