Pinoy pride

By Apples Aberin Sadhwani Inquirer MANILA, Philippines--In celebration of Independence Day, here’s a shout out to all Filipino designers who make us truly proud to be Pinoy! To Rafé, Lesley Mobo, Monique Lhuillier, Cesar Gaupo, Bea Valdez and all those who’ve successfully ventured out to the highly competitive international fashion scene, kudos for putting us on the map and setting a wonderful example for all aspiring designers here in the Philippines. Yes, it is possible to dream big and to actually see one’s dreams come to fruition. To those who’ve stayed and who continue to elevate the standards of the local fashion industry -- that means you, Inno Sotto, Auggie Cordero, Jojie Lloren, Cesar Gaupo (again!), among others -- a big thank you for setting the bar and providing local clients a taste of high fashion at its finest. To those who continue to build and promote local brands like Tyler, Aranaz, Bench, F&H, Kashieca, Kamiseta, Bayo and such, thereby promoting locally designed products, please continue to collaborate with our extremely talented homegrown designers, who are not only brimming with ideas but who also understand the market they are serving. To all young designers and newbies out there, who continue to design and create in spite of limited resources, fueled only by passion for their craft, a big pat on the back for your tenacity and perseverance, which serve as an inspiration to others who are also struggling to be seen and heard. We, in Inquirer Lifestyle, hope to help spread the message that the Philippines is rife with talented individuals who need and deserve all the support they can get. We also hope to serve as a venue for you, our dear readers, to discover new faces and talents, as well as rediscover older (but not necessarily old!) ones. With that, here are four relatively new designers, who have joined and won various competitions here and abroad, and who are slowly but surely making their marks in the local fashion industry. Dimple Perez Lim, 25 First Grantee, Ben Farrales Scholarship Foundation, 2002; Crowd Favorite, Wild Vines Fashionista 2003; Second Place, Philippine Shoe Competition, 2003; Best in Casual, Fashion Institute of the Philippines Graduation Show, 2006; Bench Choice Award, Philippine Fashion Design Competition 2007 Educational background: BS Interior Design -- College of the Holy Spirit Certificate in Patternmaking -- Lasalle International All Pattern courses -- Fashion Institute of the Philippines What's your design philosophy? Imagination + reality = function. Everything is all about yin-yang. You have to be crazy but defined, fun and serious, avant-garde but wearable, old but new. When and how did you get started in the fashion business? I started in my parents' garments factory during my grade-school summer vacation. I would trim and pack T-shirts. Serendipitously, a few years ago, I would be in the same situation, but this time designing clothes for a street-wear brand. That was the time I affirmed that this is my destiny. What are your current projects? I'm working on a collection with my accessory-designer friend Jackie Tan and we will be launching it very soon. I’m also doing made-to-measure clothes for various clients and I’m collaborating with my cousin’s retail company. What makes you proud to be a Pinoy fashion designer? It makes me all the more proud being a designer in a Third World country like the Philippines. My sources of inspiration: creating and finding our own way, and eyeing things to come from a perspective unknown to global fashion. I’m proud to be in a sanctuary not many fashion people have discovered. Prisara Morales, 25 Finalist, Philippine Fashion Design Competition, 2007 Educational background: AB Interdisciplinary Studies, Major in Communication and Fine Arts, Ateneo de Manila University; took up a few classes in Clothing Technology, University of the Philippines; took up Fashion Design, Patternmaking and Haute Couture, Fashion Institute of the Philippines. What's your design philosophy? I love clean and pure shapes and forms, which translate into a very minimalist sensibility in my designs. I am very much into the structure of the piece and the way its details are tailored, rather than unnecessary embellishments. I want to create nondisposable clothing, pieces that people will keep and still love to wear for years to come. When and how did you get started in the fashion business? I'd always been making clothes for myself since my early teens. That was around the time grunge was in fashion and my sister and I would scour second-hand stores for vintage clothes, which we would fix up and customize to our liking. It was very hands-on, very D-I-Y, and I absolutely fell in love with the whole process -- choosing the material, designing, sewing and then the pleasure you get wearing something that you created. I realized then that I wanted to be a designer. A highlight in my career in the fashion business was apprenticing for Dita Sandico-Ong. A resilient figure in the local fashion industry, she imparted to me an appreciation of indigenous material and inspired me more than ever to pursue my dream. What do you hope to achieve in five years and what steps will you take to achieve it? I'd like to have established my clothing line by then and launched it into a serious business. At the moment, I've been developing miniature collections for my RTW line called Flight, but it's still in its infancy and not yet a full-fledged business. Another related but slightly off-tangent dream of mine is to set up a local design collective, something along the lines of the Surface To Air group, a modern-day version of Andy Warhol’s Factory. What makes you proud to be a Pinoy fashion designer? The Pinoy fashion industry is made up of the most creative, talented people and I'm proud to be counted among such a group. I am also proud to be in a field that allows me to share my point of view, and art, with the world. Jerome Salaya Ang, 29 Finalist, Smirnoff Fashion Awards 1999; Representative, Philippine Young Fashion Designers Competition in Paris 2004 and 2005; Delegate, Asia Europe Foundation Young Designers Summit in Hanoi, Vietnam 2005; Representative, Asia Young Fashion Designers Competition in Singapore 2004 and 2005; Finalist, Mercedez-Benz International Fashion Awards in Malaysia 2006 Educational background: Bachelor of Fine Arts, Major in Interior Design, University of Santo Tomas What's your design philosophy? Order in chaos. My signature style? Couture avant-garde. When and how did you get started in the fashion business? I started in the fashion business doing freelance designs for uniform companies. Then, I ventured into bridal fashions. I studied fashion in Saint Benilde under Inno Sotto, took further studies under Shanon Pamaong at the Fashion Institute of the Philippines. And also took draping courses at Raffles, Bangkok. Who are the designers you look up to? I admire Inno Sotto’s simple elegance, Shannon Pamaong's pattern techniques, John Galliano's opulent frivolity, Alexander McQueen's impeccable tailoring and master showmanship, and Hussein Chalayans' innovation. What do you hope to achieve in five years? In the next five years, I plan to expand my horizons by venturing into pret-a-couture shoes, bags and accessories. What makes you proud to be a Pinoy designer? I'm proud to be a Pinoy designer because we are globally competitive and we are trained to make the best out of things. Given the lack of resources and technology, we still manage to be on the top. Aries Iñigo Lagat, 24 Representative, Asean Skills Competition in Jakarta, Indonesia, 2003; Semi-finalist, Philippine Young Designers Competition 2005; Grand Prize winner, MEGA Young designer’s Contest, 2006 Educational background: I graduated at Ocsat (Ozamis City School of Arts and Trades) first in my class (and actually the only boy!) in Garment Technology in 2002. I also graduated from a Fashion Design course in Slims in 2004, from a scholarship that was given by Mr. Ben Farrales. Then, I took up a patternmaking course in FIP (Fashion Institute of the Philippines). I am currently teaching basic and advance patternmaking both for womenswear and menswear in FIP. What's your design philosophy? I am more of a tailored/experimental designer particularly in cuts and shape. My focus is always on the construction of the garment. It has to be precise, clean and well-executed. It's funny 'cause I was known for convertible pieces that I showed in the last MEGA competition. One time I made a cocktail dress for a client, and my students where asking me if it was going to transform into a jacket or a bag. When and how did you get started in the fashion business? I was 4 when my parents discovered my God-given talent for clothing design. I guess I broke their hearts when they realized I was going to be a fashion designer, and not a dentist or a seaman like they wanted me to be! But I guess I really started back in college where I made dance costumes for the faculty at school, then got a job as an assistant designer for Mimi Pimentel in Cagayan de Oro. How do you hone your craft? I always research, study all kinds of methods in patternmaking, making samples or prototypes for experimental projects and learning from every mistake that I make. As much as possible, I want to be hands-on 100 percent. What do you hope to achieve in five years and what steps will you take to achieve it? I’ll have my own atelier or I’ll be working for the great designers of the world like Christian Lacroix. I got a scholarship in Paris as my prize for the MEGA competition so I hope to take it early next year. What makes you proud to be a Pinoy designer? We are very talented and creative fashion designers and people. Jojie Lloren, Frederick Peralta, Carie Santiago and my favorite, Lesley Mobo, already proved that to the world. I just really hope and pray that Aries Iñigo Lagat would leave that kind of mark in the fashion industry.