Monique takes the fashion industry by storm

gown for Eva Longoria, star of the popular soap Desperate Housewives. Even before this, of course, her Ready-To-Wear (RTW) collection has been worn by megastars such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Jennifer Connelly, Janet Jackson, Debra Messing, Angelina Jolie, Sharon Stone, Mariah Carey, Sarah Michelle Geller, Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon, Marg Helgenberger, Amber Tamblyn, Elisha Cuthbert, Jorja Fox, Holly Hunter, Tiffany Thiessen and Jamie Lynn Discala—just to name a few.

Longoria, 31, got engaged to San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker, 24, in November 2006 after a two-year romance that had its ups and downs. They have set their altar date for July 7 because Parker thinks the date is lucky, according to "Us" weekly.

"Tony is extremely superstitious and thinks 07-07-07 is the day most lucky to get married on," a source told the magazine. The couple plans to get hitched at Chateau de Chantilly, a fairy-tale-like castle north of Paris, reports Us, which adds that designer Monique Lhuillier will create the wedding dress.

Born Diane Monique Lhuillier to French, Spanish/Filipino parents, Monique was raised in Cebu, in central Philippines. As a child, Monique travell ed extensively with her family and was exposed to her mother's glamourous life as one of Cebu's well-known society figures. Her favourite destinations were always Paris and Los Angeles.

At 15, Monique left home to attend the prestigious Chateau Mont-Choisi boarding school in Lausanne, Switzerland. It was while she was in Switzerland that she decided to pursue her dream of becoming a designer. She decided to attend the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) and move to Los Angeles.

At FIDM, Monique excelled and received a merit-based scholarship to attend the advanced programme. During her studies, she decided to focus on the luxury market and specialise in bridal and evening gowns. It was also during this time that Monique met her husband, Tom Bugbee.

When Monique graduated and began looking for a job, she realised there were very few couture quality companies based in Los Angeles.