Who is Ellis Co, the son of Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co?

Bicolano fashion designer Ellis Co recently made headlines after he released a public statement on social media asking his father, Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co, to return home and "be accountable once and for all."

Zaldy Co is allegedly related to the corruption of billions of pesos worth of ghost and substandard flood control projects and budget insertions.

Before the issue broke, Ellis had established himself as a fashion designer under the brand .ARCHIVES, which he co-founded in 2022.

According to its website, .ARCHIVES "is a future-oriented conceptwear" that "exemplifies how they perceive distinct moments in time." 

In 2023, a 22-year-old Ellis launched his 2024 resort collection at a fashion show in Misibis Bay in Bicol, which is owned by his father, Zaldy.

In the same year, he showcased his designs at the Rakuten Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2024 in Tokyo in September and at the Tokyo Fashion Week Autumn/Spring 2023 in March.

Aside from being a fashion designer, Ellis is also a self-proclaimed singer and rapper. In 2022, he released a five-song EP titled "Big Money Corp The Album" under the name Ellis G.

The official music videos of his songs "Black Lexus" and "R.B.C.N." are on YouTube, where he set up his channel, Ellis G. on January 20, 2020. 

In his statement on Instagram, Ellis admitted being "born into privilege," but claimed that he moved out of his parents' house at 16, "didn't pursue college," and worked for his own money since then.

Ellis reportedly studied entrepreneurial management at the University of Asia and the Pacific, but he “dropped out" and decided to help his dad in the family’s various businesses. 

According to Ellis, he's "pushed to separate myself from their work and have repeatedly declined offers to participate in politics or any government-related opportunities."

"I have a firm belief that the people who are supposed to do this are people who have the proper skillset, education, and reasons to do so," he added.

He claimed he funded the .ARCHIVES brand by accepting "uniform projects and various other clothing projects from different clients."

"While I had my savings, I also had access to resources that a normal business owner wouldn't," he wrote, adding his "mom invested in my fashion shows, and it's a loan we're expected to pay.

Ellis also claimed his last fashion show was "two years ago."

"Since then, we've shifted to smaller events and community building because we simply could not afford them anymore," he said.

The fashion designer also addressed the hate being thrown at him and his family, but he pleaded, "Please spare the creatives who have done nothing but make an honest living off their hard work."

"At the end of the day, .ARCHIVES mission has always been to support and celebrate Filipino artistry with heart and integrity, and we will continue to do so moving forward," he said. — LA, GMA Integrated News