DESIGNER WATCH: Alex Espinosa A Filipino on the Canadian runway

When I think of Canada, I think of Quebec, Canadian bacon and Celine Dion. It was a surprise when I heard about two Filipino designers who recently made headlines when they participated in the Winnipeg leg of Project Runway Canada. One of the designers was Alex Espinosa, who won third place in the said contest (Noel “Nodja” de Leon won the contest).

In an e-mail interview, Espinosa shared how he got into fashion and how his participation in the Winnipeg leg of the competition made him a better designer.

Inspiration from Mom

Espinosa was born in Bacolod City in Negros Occidental. It was his mother, a designer herself, who started his love for fashion.

“She had a shop at home and always had clients coming by for fittings. By having my mother as my mentor in fashion, I was exposed to all kinds of techniques and materials in my early years,” he said.

In the ‘70s, he left for Canada where he studied fashion design at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute in Toronto.

“(This) encouraged me to further my career to work in the Canadian Apparel Industry in Montreal, Quebec. For more than 15 years, I was able to work in big companies such as Joseph Ribkoff, Jr. Scene of Algo Industries and Le Chateau Canada. In the industry, I learned how to perfect my skills,” he said.

Espinosa also collaborated with other famous Canadian artists in Montreal’s theatre, dance and music scenes. He also attended the Art Residency for Dance Costume at the Banff Art Centre in Alberta, Canada in 1999 and worked for the wardrobe of the Broadway musical show The Producer by Mel Brooks in the Winnipeg Centennial Concert Hall.

Project Runway Winnipeg

Upon returning to Winnipeg in 2006, Espinosa competed and won in the Winnipeg Project Runway 2006. He tried out again this year and ended up one of the runners up.

“Exposing my skills in the competition opened doors for my fashion design services to all kinds of clientele in Winnipeg,” Espinosa said.

His works have been featured in Canadian publications like Journal de Montreal, Quebec Rock, Winnipeg Free Press and McGill Daily. When asked about inspirations, Espinosa said, “When I’m inspired to design, I think of fashion as an art. It is indeed another form of art expression. It is almost like painting. The colors that inspired me, I believe, bring back my influence of being a Filipino, which means the natural beauty of the tropics in the Philippines.”

How would he describe the person wearing his clothes?

“A person who adores wearing beautiful clothes are the people who would do well in wearing my inspired designs,” he said.

He cited Wayne Clark, a Canadian fashion designer, and Christian Lacroix as his favorite designers. “I adore how they play with balance in their designs,” he said.

Loving your work

As for his plans of visiting the country, Espinosa said, “Now and then, I keep thinking of visiting the Philippines. One of these days, I hope.”

And for those wanting to make it in the international market, this is what Espinosa had to say: “My advice to other designers who would love to make it in the international scene is for them to work hard and be dedicated to their craft. You have to love what you do or else you will not make it.”

From getting his inspiration from his mother to participating in design contests, Espinosa has proven that the Filipino talent can also make it big on the Canadian runway.

(For more information, please visit www.alexespinosa.bravehost.com)