Tributes pour out for Brian Tenorio

Brian Tenorio may be best known as a shoe designer but his work and influence certainly went beyond fashion.

When news broke that Brian died at 42, tributes poured from various industries and organizations that he was a part of, and whom he had helped in his lifetime.

"We are truly saddened by the loss of Marikina’s fashion and design pillar, a brilliant entrepreneur and passionate social advocate. Brian Tenorio will always be a Marikina pride," Marikina Mayor Marcy Teodoro wrote. 

"Marikina is Brian’s town. Him being a brilliant shoe designer and an indigenized Marikeno despite his foreign speaking accent, Brian will always be remembered in this city. His memory is immortalized in the city shoe walk of fame for his noteworthy contributions in promoting our shoe industry to the world," he continued.

Meanwhile, the Philippine LGBT Chamber of Commerce, which Brian founded in 2016, called him "a shining beacon of the Philippine LGBT+ community."

"He was a proudly out gay man who served as an inspiration to many of us, representing the community in a multitude of spaces when it was then rare to find visible LGBT+ leadership: international relations, entrepreneurship, technology, design, entertainment, and food & beverage, to name a few," it continued.

"A trailblazing creative force, he held the torch for many advocacies aside LGBT+ representation in business, such as Philippine design and craftsmanship, the local coffee industry, and the intersection of mental health and online technology."

In its tribute, the Communication Design Association of the Philippines (CDAP) shared yet another incredible facet of Brian's wide-spanning work: "Brian was a proponent of the Design Competitiveness Act of the Philippines, Republic Act No. 10557, which was passed in 2013 for the purpose of prescribing the necessary rules and regulations for promoting and strengthening Filipino Design."

"Brian never fails to bring energy to meetings and discussions. He was always overflowing with creative ideas. The industry lost one of it's champions," said CDAP president Jowie Alviar.

Brian passed away on Monday, July 27 after an 11-month battle with colon cancer. He was only 42 years old but he's left quite a mark in the industries of fashion, food, and the LGBT community.

His latest project aimed to make mental health more accessible to those who need it. 

Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. — LA, GMA News