Behind the glam and glitter of every gown or suit lies a challenging but inspiring journey.

Owner and CEO Esther Grace Gaor-Ng Cinco shared the success story of Gaor Manila at the Recover All Ministries (RAM) Convention “Harvesting Generations” last June 12, 2026 at the Crossroad Center, Quezon City. 

RAM Convention is a semi-annual event attended by different Christian churches all around the globe. Organized by Great Destiny International, RAM Convention brings together powerful, kingdom mindset speakers as well as Word-hungry believers to inspire and spark-up faith.  

Esther was one of those speakers who shared their powerful testimonies in this mid-year’s Convention with the theme, Harvesting Generations. 

Before becoming the preferred made-to-order fashion design house specializing in bespoke gowns and suits, Gaor Manila had a humble beginning many people didn’t know.

“May ginagawa si Lord,” Esther highlighted, providing the context for taking the audiences down her memory lane.

When she was in high school, she experienced being a waitress as well as selling soaps and bags, among others. “I sold anything I could”, she recalled.

Esther remembered crying after paying for a Youth Convention during her first year in college as she needed to spend her hard-earned savings just to attend said event.

But her parents’ words strengthened her, “‘pag may inutos si Lord at masakit, ibig sabihin may binabago siya sa’yo.”

She did follow the Lord by obeying her parents and it didn’t end there. A lot of things happened and then eventually, she graduated from college. However, she was uncertain about her direction in life—in what industry she would choose.

Beginning of a passion

Esther evoked all of her clothes that were all hand-me-down from her sister, cousins, neighbors, and churchmates. From then on, she decided to learn how to sew to make her own clothes. 

As Esther sewed, she felt joy and happiness out of her own creation.

“Nagugustuhan ng mga tao,” she said. “Sabi nila, patahi nga ako ng ganyan,” she added.

Out of her passion for creating clothes and helping people, she did everything for free. Yes, for free! She did not earn a single penny at that time. But she did it anyway!

Fast forward, she continued to pursue her passion and alas, she started earning from it. The price of the first gown she created was a staggering amount of Php 1,000 and the original design was even changed. 

However, driven by heart, Esther was not demotivated. She did not even see sewing as a business at first. Nevertheless, she noticeably continued making clothes out of passion or hobby.

For one and a half years, her bed didn’t matter anymore as she slept on her floor while crafting patterns, cutting, and sewing, without her noticing that she had already made more than 300 clothes. Coming back to her senses, she finally realized that it was already a business! 

Inspiring the awe-struck audiences at the convention, Esther stressed, “Whatever you have right now, big or small, start somewhere. The Lord will bless you’.

Leapfrogging the business, unknowingly

Clients started to increase and her manpower also grew. She eventually decided to ‘upgrade’ as she honestly believed that despite all this, she lacked expertise in some aspects. 

An opportunity to upskill came when her parents, Apostle Abraham Gaor and Sarah Gaor migrated to San Francisco, California, America. Esther followed them and looked for ways for some upgrading, bringing with her the deep desire to learn and persevere, and follow her dreams. 

Nick Verreos and David Paul from Project Runway located at Los Angeles, Califirnia, saw her portfolio. They called her and asked to enroll and learn in the Advanced Fashion Design course. This prestigious school only selects eight students every year, to study fashion design in Los Angeles, and they wanted Esther to be one of them. 

When she inquired about the costs, she learned that it was $63,000 per year which made her decline due to budget constraints. 

The next day, they called again and informed her that they were willing to cover 50% of her tuition fee. Esther declined again as the financial burden was still huge for her. Deep inside, she concluded that maybe it was not really meant for her and was prepared to go back to the Philippines. 

Surprisingly, after a week had passed, another call came, announcing that they would cover all of Esther’s expenses and all she had to shell out was $9 as Registration Fee. Amazing, isn’t it?!

“Hindi ‘yon sa galing, hindi ‘yon sa yaman. Nangyari ‘yon dahil kasama ko si Lord,” she recounted with emotions. 

Having to move to LA for her studies, she had to rent a place to stay in this city where the cost of living is very high. So, he had to juggle studying in the morning and teaching in the afternoon until night time, and sewing for a fashion show from midnight til dawn, making her sleep only for two hours a day. Then on weekends, she recalled working a 11-15 hours shift as Senior Bridal Stylist for a renowned birthday stylist in LA. 

After sowing a lot of hard work, she finally reaped what she had sown. She graduated as magna cum laude from that prestigious fashion design school.

Job offers kept coming in particularly from a Costume House in Hollywood asking her to work for them as a pattern maker. She was interested and they were about to hire her, but the Lord had a different plan for her. 

There was a problem with her paperwork and had no choice but to go home to the Philippines. She felt devastated when her dream was already in front of her but was taken away.

Perseverance, character, and hope

Back to zero, she started her business again in the Philippines. All of her previous clients were gone as it had been a long time. 

Her savings slowly ran out. This made her depressed and all she could do was cry. She was losing hope and even tried to apply to one of her siblings’ businesses. 

Despite everything, she drew closer to the Lord all the more — served and worshiped Him even more. She found love, comfort, and peace in Him. 

Esther encouraged the audiences with Galatians 6:9, which states, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” 

“There is no room for doubt. Sometimes, you just have to wait upon the Lord. The moment will come when it’s your time”, she added. She complemented this with the wise words from Ecclesiastes 3:1, which states that “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.”

“May season ng pagtatanim, pagdidilig, paghihintay, at may season ng pag-aani,” Esther continued.

Despite the hardships, troubles, and uncertainties, Esther did not fail to trust the Lord and persevere. She patiently waited until an opportunity came through a bridal fair, where Gaor Manila participated. The first try failed. She did not earn any single cent but incurred losses. Said failure did not stop Esther; she tried and tried again. Eventually, finally, she found her breakthrough after several tries. Bookings after bookings came until Gaor Manila’s calendar became fully booked.

Esther’s impetus to strive and thrive was her desire to support God’s kingdom through the ministries her parents are doing all over the world. This keeps her motivated to excel all the more as her mom and dad tirelessly serve the Lord through various ministries despite their old age.

Key takeaways

Waiting doesn’t mean the Lord is doing nothing. While waiting, keep on trusting the Lord for He is faithful to His promises. He is faithful then, now, and forever.

Esther learned to help herself and ask guidance from people who think positively. Her journey is a testimony that everything in life has a purpose.

Esther founded Gaor Manila with a passion for timeless elegance and fine craftsmanship. Her atelier is dedicated to creating garments that embody sophistication, individuality, and artistry.

Having its clients at the heart of every creation, Gaor Manila is currently fully booked until April next year and her staff has tripled. She became a top booker at wedding fairs. 

“Designed to create memories that will last a lifetime” is the company’s tagline, which drives everyone to go beyond just clothing. Gaor Manila designs garments that tell stories, preserve emotions, and create memories that will be treasured forever.