Finding the Pinoy in fashion

By Pennie Azarcon dela Cruz Inquirer MANILA, Philippines--The idea, says fashion designer Barge Ramos, is to come up with clothes that are unmistakably Pinoy without looking like one is bound for an Independence Day Parade or a costume party. “It is possible to look thoroughly modern and contemporary and still retain the Filipino touch in one’s clothes,” says Ramos who is widely known for his barong Tagalog creations. Aside from being a gauge of one’s age, taste, income level and politics, clothes should proudly hark back to our cultural identity, says this erstwhile fashion journalist who expounded his theory through a weekly column for the newspaper Malaya from 1990-1995. The best of those columns have recently been gathered into a book of the same title, “Pinoy Dressing: Weaving Culture Into Fashion,” a scrumptious coffee table book that details how history has shaped the way we dress, and how clothes in turn reflect cultural beliefs and traditions. Among some tribes, it is believed that continuously weaving cloth transmits spiritual force and protective powers to the woven fabric. The process of weaving itself represents “continuing the threads of kinship and descent, with the simple motions of tying, binding and wrapping celebrating lineage, ancestry and solidarity.” The barong, a formal wear usually worn on special occasions, used to be a cautionary measure against Filipino insurgency during the Spanish times. Fearful of brewing dissent, colonial rulers required Filipino ilustrados to wear the sheer tunic shirt to reveal any hidden weapons tucked in their waistline. Such cultural minutiae and fashion history have always interested Ramos who held his first barong exhibit at the Ayala Museum in 1985. There he showcased photo silk screening of ethnic patterns on barong using synthetic silk. “I used photo screening instead of embroidery on barong because some foreigners find the lavishly embroidered national dress too feminine,” explains this designer who was first exposed to costume design as part of the theater group Dulaang Sibol at the Ateneo de Manila. Ramos has also toyed with historic imprints on his barong, including the signatures on the country’s declaration of independence in 1898. “My friends were joshing me, ‘ano yan, pirma sa tumalbog na tseke?’ (what are those? Signatures on bad checks?)” he recalls. His use of woven fabrics as accents on barong has found a receptive audience among balikbayans and Filipinos living abroad. This he attributes to “cultural pride, the need to assert our identity in a world where blending in seems to be the norm.” Among locals, the response has been mixed, he acknowledges. “Filipinos are rather conservative when it comes to fashion. They won’t wear anything until everybody else is wearing them.” His best bet are younger Pinoys who are more open to ideas and more experimental, notes this designer who hails the Monday rule during the Ramos presidency. Back then, he recalls, government employees were required to wear a Filipino dress at the start of the week. It was a chance to dress up and to feel proudly Pinoy every Monday, he says. But even the best intentions are weighed down by the ills of the local fashion industry, rues Ramos. “How can we compete with cheap fabric imports from China and the ukay-ukay (secondhand clothing) bargains?” he sighs. “Our textile industry is dead—killed by too many taxes.” Thirty years as a designer has taught Ramos that “everything in fashion begins with the right fabric—how it feels, how it falls and behaves… Before you can even conceptualize a design, you must know what fabric you’re using and where to source it—mainly abroad, in our case.” Fortunately, Ramos adds, brightening up, there are two things going for the Philippine fashion industry: “Creativity and design.” Production costs may be prohibitive, fabric choices may be restricted and the market limited, but there’s no arguing with the Filipino designers’ creativity, he sums up. “Pinoy Dressing: Weaving Culture into Fashion” will be launched on Aug. 17 at the second level of The Podium in Pasig, with an exhibit and fashion show interpreting the fashion illustrations in the book. For details, call Anvil Publishing c/o Gwenn Galvez at +63 2 637-8840.

12 Comments

adolfo | August 18, 2007 10:59 AM

Bago ninyo ipag-malaki na Pilipino kayo.At mag-"IMAGINE" ng "pinoy-ness" ng mga bagay-bagay.ASIKASUHIN nyo MUNA ang HITSURA ng bansa na pinangalinngan ninyo, at ang "pamumuhay" ng kanyang mga mamamayan.PUROS kayo "PANTASYA".Na para bang napaka-"espesyal" ninyo SAMANTALANG kung TITINGNAN mo naman ang HITSURA ng bansa,3rd world na 3rd world.BAGO nyo ITAAS ang NOO NINYO,IPAKITA nyo muna na "karapat-dapat" nga kayong irespeto sa harap ng international community.Papano mo magagawa ito,IPAKITA mo na may "dangal" ka at respeto sa sarili sa pamamagitan ng PAG-AYOS ng iyong "pinangalingan".Eh kaso,tingnan mo puros BASURA na nagkalat,mga kanal na umaalingasngas.Ang no.1 export ay KATULONG.Anong "Pinoy-ness" ang PINAG-MAMALAKI nyo??Puros kayo PANTASYA!!Kaya tingnan mo ang Pilipinas.Hindi umunlad-unlad,at tingnan mo ang mga mamamayn nito,PUROS anak ng anak.(Ang problema paayang mga mabababang klase pa ang napaka-BILIS mag-anak).At ang mga "nakatatas,mga walang pag-mamahal at walang BAYAG gawin ang mga "radikal na POLISIYAS.Wala kayong dapat sisihin kundi ang sarili nyo.Ang galing nyo kasi eh!!

adolfo | August 18, 2007 11:08 AM

Sa larangan ng "fashion"...makikita mo ang mga "katangahan" na ine-exhibit ng mga ignoranteng mga kababayan.ISINUSUOT ang mga "nat'l dress tulad ng "barong" o kaya'y "saya/terno" at mag-papa-PICTURE na ang ginagawa ay "DEMEANING".EXAMPLE,nakita ko sa isang magazine na IPINUBLISH sa Pilipinas mismo...babaeng pilipina na naka saya/terno na naghahawak ng payong habang nag-gogolf ang isang dayuhan.MGA BOBO BA KAYO???Wala ba kayong konsepto ng 'DIGNIDAD"??Isusuot mo iyang mga nasyona l na damit sa AMBIENTE ng "demeaning".Mahihina ba ang Utak niyo??Another example,nakita ko sa isang palabas na gawa sa "hollywood", ang exsena ay kuha sa isang maliit na "casino.Ang mga BOBONG mga Pinoy,SUOT ang BARONG habang nag-ta-trabaho sa casino.(pwede mong sabihin na baka hindi sila pinoy) pero ang suot nila,definitely barong.IRESPETO nyo naman ang national na baro ng bansa!!Palibhasa maraming IGNORANTE at mangmang sa mga kababayan natin na kahit saan sila mag-punta ay "kahihiyan ang bibnibigay sa bansa.

Joseph Emar Valenzona | February 28, 2008 1:42 PM

Ako'y sumasang-ayon din sa ilang bahagi na isinulat ni adolfo, bagamat may napuna rin akong di kanais-nais. Tama lang na galangin natin ang ating pambansang kasuotan sapagkat ito'y nagbibigay o naglalarawan sa ating pagka Pilipino. Dapat nga atin itong ipagmalaki di lang sa ating lugar kundi pati narin sa ibang bansa.
Napaka sakit man ispin na sa pagdaan ng maraming panahon unti-unti na nabubura ang mga ganitong istilo ng pananamit. Dahil sa modernong pananamit hatid ng ibang banyaga, natutuhan ng Pilipino na baguhin ang kanyang istilo sa kadahilang ito'y kaaya-aya kaysa sa pambansang suot. marami na ring mga binago sa cultura ng Pilipino. Unti-unti na nawawala ang mga dating damit na pinagmanahan pa ng ating mga ninuno. Masakit man isipin ngunit kailangang tanggapin. Ang sa akin lamang ay sana man lang, tulad nga ng sabi ni Adolfo, dapat igalang natin ang mga ito saan man tayo pumunta, at sa anong bagay o okasyon, taas noo parin natin ito.

Stellhorn | June 24, 2009 6:01 PM

Insightful. Bookmarked.

unkown | September 7, 2009 10:53 AM

bka nmna adolfo gusto mo magkoment sa politics page or something instead dito sa fashion article na to... ikaw ba may ginagwa ka ba na magpagmalaki ang Pinoy?
yan ang hirap eh, puro komento wala naman ginagawa.... atleast yung iba sinusubukan...kahit papaano nakakatulong... ndi mo ba naisip ang meaning ng article na to?... its not just how or where you wear a native inspired clothing,,, yun nga ang goal ng mga ibang Filipino designers dyan eh,,, making something from the old to the new,,, iniincorporate ang native woven fabrics to a more innovative and contemporary style na kakayanin masuot without looking "demeaning" in an environment. Ndi lang yun,, once na mag pick up at ma appreciate ng tao ang pag use ng woven fabrics it would mean tataas ang hanap buhay ng Filipino handwoven makers natin,, more work for them...and goal kasi dito ay ang ndi tuluyan pagkawala ng woven fabrics sa Pilipinas..ACT before you SPEAK. tama na puro reklamo...gumawa k din ng paraan para maresolba yan..

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wezvona | December 10, 2010 6:36 PM

Fearful of brewing dissent, colonial rulers required Filipino ilustrados to wear the sheer tunic shirt to reveal any hidden weapons tucked in their waistline. Such cultural minutiae and fashion history have always interested Ramos who held his first barong exhibit at the Ayala Museum in 1985

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ciwwegu | December 27, 2010 11:15 PM

The best of those columns have recently been gathered into a book of the same title, “Pinoy Dressing: Weaving Culture Into Fashion,” a scrumptious coffee table book that details how history has shaped the way we dress, and how clothes in turn reflect cultural beliefs and traditions. Among some tribes, it is believed that continuously weaving cloth transmits spiritual force and protective powers to the woven fabric. download music for free, iscsi san

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katya0219 | January 19, 2011 8:35 PM

Aside from being a gauge of one’s age, taste, income level and politics, clothes should proudly hark back to our cultural identity, says this erstwhile fashion journalist who expounded his theory through a weekly column for the newspaper Malaya from 1990-1995. Best regards, Katya, CEO of dvdburn

Finding the Pinoy in fashion

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