We took the chance to ask him about the morning-after feeling and more. But not without checking first what’s inside his ubiquitous shoulder bag.
He gamely pours its contents on our table and these are what we found: cologne, Altoids, billfold with credit cards, an envelope of cash ("Sweldo for my costureras") and a Louis Vuitton wallet with a bundle of novenas. ("You name it, I have it.")
"I feel bare without my shoulder bag," he declares as he fixes his black leather Boss bag.
Is this his favorite?
"Believe it or not, I have collected about 100 shoulder bags."
Okay, let’s listen to the Bag Man, rather, the Dean of Philippine Fashion who recently bagged the loudest applause in the fashion industry.
PHILIPPINE STAR: So how do you feel the morning after your well-applauded show?
Ben Ferrales: Euphoric.
You were crying. And you made us cry.
Crying is not something I like to do. I’m too proud a person to shed tears. The past years I’ve been too busy to even feel sad. But last night, the faucet opened and lumabas lahat. You cannot suppress it pala.
Now that you’ve done it all after 50 years in the business, is there anything you’d still like to accomplish?
I’d like to be more serious about this scholarship program in partnership with the Philippine International School of Fashion at St. Scholastica’s, headed by Andree Belanger. And I’ll continue making clothes until one day... But I’ll still be there.
When was the greatest high in your career?
Right now, realizing I’ve lasted this long, and proving that I’m still productive and creative.
When was your all-time low?
The month of August in 1997, during the Asian financial crisis. I got no calls, no clients that month. It was like a wake-up call that I just had to reassess the situation. So what I did was travel to the different Santo Niño shrines in France, Italy, Spain and Czech Republic with the Congregacion. I felt spiritually rejuvenated. When I came back, I got in touch with colleagues and realized the whole fashion industry was feeling the slump.
What’s your biggest frustration as a veteran in the fashion business?
I wish we could entice people around Asia to come yearly to Manila to see our summer collection. There have been efforts in the past but what happened was nagiging palabas lang. Entertainment.
What’s wrong with our clothes? Why can’t we sell them the way other countries have been doing business?
Yes, Thailand has its batik and silk, Hong Kong has its cheongsam, we don’t have anything to push. Filipino clothes sometimes become too costumey. They have to be made wearable. Our barong, for instance, should be more mannish, with geometric rather than floral embroidery. It took a French cutter (Giovanni Sanna of Pierre Cardin) decades ago to innovate and shape the barong. Maybe the younger ones should think of innovating the barong. We just can’t show pang-costume clothes in Paris.
What’s the future of haute couture in the Philippines?
There’s still a market. For weddings, debuts, and special occasions, people don’t mind spending for made-to-order.
Who do you consider promising among the young designers at present?
Jojie Lloren, Rhett Eala, Ignacio Loyola. If they play their cards well, they will one day take over. It takes maturity to do haute couture. It’s not just a matter of designing and coming out in the papers. You must have talent and the right attitude. And what the fashion industry needs now is government support, just like the way France is supportive of its second dollar-earning industry.
Okay. Let’s do the name game. What do you think of Pitoy Moreno?
They used to say Pitoy Moreno and Ben Farrales were like Nora Aunor and Vilma Santos. We’ve been compared and pitted against each other, but the truth is, we’re friends. His customers and mine are different, his social group and mine are different. We have opposite lifestyles. He loves socializing, I’m a homebody. The only thing we have in common is the interest in men, ha ha! But you see, even the Nora-Vilma rivalry is over.
Inno Sotto.
He’s fantastic in the sense that he was able to repackage himself from the doldrums and be what he is now.
Joe Salazar.
I love his clothes. He’s very artistic. He’s a very nice person. I wish he’d be more visible.
Rajo Laurel.
He should not be too sensitive about criticism. It’s part of growing up.
Pepito Albert.
Where is he?
Why did you not sell tickets for the show?
My show was sponsored by Shangri-La Makati. All fabrics were mine. If you sell tickets, you cannot control the crowd. Invitational is better so the show will be seen by the right people.
So to summarize, how do you describe the state of the Philippine fashion industry?
We’re all alive, kicking. There are many designers waiting for us to disappear. They have to shoot us first. At this point, I feel I have the license to say anything.