Designer bulletin

Uptown/Downtown takes time out to ask designers Edgar San Diego, Lito Perez and Oskar Peralta about their early years in the industry as well as tips on elegant dressing.

Edgar San Diego

After graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts in UST, Edgar San Diego was eager to dive into the fashion business. He credits strong family support for his success. “It’s a good thing that my Nanay and my Tita Laleng never fell short of the support and inspiration that they shared with me. They were dressmakers during their younger years so they understood me well. I was able to inherit some old sewing machines and leftover materials among other important stuff that I needed to get started. My Tatay even provided me a newly-renovated house beside our family home to be used as my first dress shop,” he shares.

Edgar adds, “My fashion style when I was younger was always considered theatrical and avant-garde. As I grew older as a designer, my style and business sense matured as well. Nowadays, I make more commercially appealing and sensible clothes. I am able to draw the line between couture and costumes. So I leave all the theatrics to my costume projects.”

Edgar often gives five tips to lady clients whenever they ask for fashion advice. His tips are as follows:

1. Stay true to who you are when choosing your outfits.

2. Stick to styles that help you express yourself with comfort and confidence.

3. It’s nice to know what the trends are but it’s best to stick to classic and tasteful styles.

4. Go for plain and basic clothes (like the LBD) that you can use over and over as they are easier to combine with other pieces.

5. There’s nothing like having the basic shoes such as plain nude or beige, black, matte gold and matte silver because you can use any dress color with them.

(Tel. nos. 374-5093 and 0918-907-9609 • 89 General Segundo St. Heroes Hill, Quezon City.)

Lito Perez

Like San Diego, designer Lito Perez started his foray into fashion with relatives by his side.

Lito says, “I started as a teenager together with my cousins. We put up a small shop in my father’s clinic and got my aunt to sew my creations. I called it Suki Clothier at that time. That was 30 years ago. I specialized in costumes and the shop was renamed “Camp Suki” around 1981. I got the idea when a client of mine asked if I could rent out a special Santacruzan gown, which her daughter would use for only a few hours. I scrounged around for my leftover costumes from the costume parties that I used to give. Camp Suki has become the foremost costume rental source for everyone.”

On his fashion style, Lito says, “My style always touches on history. I specialize in re-inventing the Filipino costume particularly the Maria Clara that I love very much. It is my own unique style, which is timeless and classic, always with a Filipino touch.” 

On fashion advice, Lito shares, “If you are not sure of what to wear, just match it with the same color scheme. You won’t go wrong with this styling technique. It does not matter whether you are big or small as long as you carry yourself with confidence and personal style. I believe that simplicity is the best policy and that a woman should take time out to create a personal style for herself and make it her trademark. Finally, I believe that it is better to be dressed-up than dressed-down for an occasion.” 

(Tel. nos. 725-0819 and 0927-975-1683 • Camp Suki, 88 4th St. New Manila, Quezon City.)

Oskar Peralta

Oskar Peralta has the distinction of being one of the first enrollees at Slims Fashion and Arts School. As a result, he was personally mentored by the great Salvacion “Slim” Higgins herself. His learning experience with well-established couturiers did not end there. “After finishing in Slims, I was able to apprentice with famous designers like Carlos Burgos, Toni Abeto and Nena Lapuz. I started working for Mang Ben Farrales and Bambi Harper earning P26 a week. In 1970, with enough savings of P20,000, I was able to put up my own shop in Ermita, Manila. I bought my first ordinary sewing machine with no motor as hulugan. Initially I got three workers: a cutter, sewer and finisher. My first celebrity clients were Perla Bautista and Amalia Fuentes.”

Oskar is known for ultra-feminine designs. “I’m considered as a very romantic designer. I mostly work with ruffles, big bows and cabbage roses. I love using silk organza because it’s easy to handle especially when I use it to execute my big bows, dramatic flounces and cabbage roses â€œ

When asked what every woman should have in her wardrobe, Oskar shares,  “Women should always have at least one black dress, black pants, black shoes, pearl earrings and a necklace set and a good dress watch.”

(Tel. nos. 668-7059 and 09154848433 • 8005 Kamagong St. cor. Tangile, San Antonio Village, Makati City.)

Oops... Jontie Martinez is the board secretary of the Fashion Designers Association of the Philippines (FDAP) and not the Fashion Designers Council of the Philippines (FDCP) as stated in my column last Sunday.

(For more Uptown/Downtown articles, log on to www.uptowndowntownsite.blogspot.com.)

Photography by JOANNE ZAPANTA-ANDRADA • Models: LUANE PASINATTO and MARIANNA HENUD • Hair and makeup by CHAT SUN