Filipino Fashion Designer Avel Bacudio was born in the picturesque Buhi, Camarines Sur,
of the Bicol region. He is the ninth of ten children, raised by his seamstress mother and
surveyor father. Life was tough for the Bacudio family, but Avel helped in his own way by
selling malunggay in school. When his mother passed away, he decided to skip high
school and try his luck for a job in Manila.
In Manila, Avel stayed with his sister and took care of his nephews and nieces. He then
also became a janitor at a fast food chain. With the influence of his mother combined with
the love of drawing though, Avel knew in his heart that he wanted to become a fashion
designer. His prayers were heard and his cousin offered to send him back to school where
he briefly studied fashion. He joined inter-school fashion competitions and even won a
few awards. With barely a year in school at 17 years old, Avel was hired as a Fashion
Assistant in a department store. He did everything, from purchasing to fixing window
displays.