Shanghai Gets High On Manila Wear

SHANGHAI – SARS or no SARS, the (fashion) show must go on.

Not even the threat of a global killer pneumonia could stop CITEM (Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions) from bringing our young designers from the Fashion Design Council of the Philippines (FDCP) to this megalopolis dubbed as the Paris of China to showcase Filipino talent and craftsmanship via a 116-piece collection billed as "Manila Wear: Filipino Fashion Flair in Motion."

FDCP president Randy Ortiz led a very upbeat team composed of PJ Arañador, Vic Barba, Patrice Ramos-Diaz, Larry Espinosa, Bong Garcia, Len Nepomuceno-Guiao, Rajo Laurel, Ricci Lizaso, Jojie Lloren, Tonichi Nocom, Ramil Noveda, Nono Palmos, Frederick Peralta, and Arnel Papa.

Likewise, none of the models chickened out and some of them came in their chic masks. Count ’em: Phoemela Baranda, Marina Benipayo, Jo Ann Bitagcol, Valerie de los Santos, Eazel Don, Ana Lloren, Raya Mananquil, Gorgette Nepomuceno, Isabel Roces, Rachel Soriano, Gary Dulatas, and Joevince Cañizares. Joining our very young and very tall (the tallest of the lot) ramp models in Shanghai were the equally tall and equally lovely homegrown Chinese models from the Yefei Modeling Agency, one of the biggest in China.

The Shoe Must Go On

They boarded a Philippine Airlines flight for Shanghai in two groups, packing warm clothes into tons of luggage, ready to do battle with Shanghai’s cold weather. The clothes and accessories for the show were shipped by CITEM a month ahead. Of course, don’t forget the shoes. Seeing to it that the models were properly shod were Marikina shoe manufacturers headed by Joey Enriquez of Figlia.

Some of the models donned their anti-SARS masks as soon as they landed at the Pudong International Airport. However, before leaving the airport, they lined up at the currency exchange window to have their US dollars changed to Chinese money, RMB. When it was one of the girls’ turn, the cashier suddenly sneezed. "SARS!" the girls screamed, scampering for safety.

Of course, there to put up a superb show was the very zealous production crew under the magic wand of the vivacious Jackie Aquino: Assistant directors BJ Santos and Polly Laurito, lighting director Dom Gallado, technical director Philip Santos, and stylists Jing Monis and Chechel Joson.

As for the members of the print media who were invited by CITEM to cover this history-making event, well, a week prior to the departure, they backed out one by one – for one reason or another – until there were only two left.

"Manila Wear is designed to make the Philippines a standout in global fashion," affirms CITEM executive director Feli Tan Co.

Launched in 1997, Manila Wear made its debut in Shanghai at the Philippine solo exhibition titled "Ties That Bind," set March 27-30 at the Shanghai Exhibition Center.

Explaining the theme, Feli adds, "Filipinos and Chinese are bound not only by centuries of mutual political and economic interests but more importantly, by cultural and ancestral ties."

Hours before Manila Wear was to premiere in an evening gala Thursday, March 27 with Pagcor as the exclusive sponsor, the Friendship Hall of the Shanghai Exhibition Center was already filled to the rafters. Outside, the temperature was a chilly 10°C, but inside the Friendship Hall, it might as well be summer as the curtains went up and an awestruck audience warmed up as the models strutted down the ramp, showing off one collection after another. And it seemed that in SRO-packed hall, everyone was fiercely guarding their precious little space as they nursed their cocktail drinks.

Who, What & Wear

Seen nodding their hearty approval during the show were Chinese V-VIPs headed by Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng and Vice Minister of Commerce An Min who flew in from Beijing just for the opening of the "Philippines-China Ties That Bind" solo exhibition. "He comes to Shanghai only once a year," says Feli.

From the Philippines, the VIP list was headed by Speaker Joe de Venecia and his wife Gina, Rep. Harry Angping and his wife Naida, and DTI Undersecretary Tomas Aquino.

As each of the designers’ names, along with their sketches, were flashed on the screen in a video presentation produced by the CITEM multi-media division, the models bared just what our Filipino designers could do, via our unique brand of tropical dressing – from streetwear to cocktail/clubwear to evening wear, capped by the much applauded bridal tableau.

When the starry-eyed single girls in the assorted audience saw Frederick Peralta’s fully beaded, tasseled white gown in Swiss lace, they couldn’t help sighing and saying, "Yes, I’ll take this gown for better or for worse!" The gown is a replica of Frederick’s grand prize-winning gown at the International Young Designers Competition held in Paris in 1994. The next morning, a still ecstatic Frederick woke up to find his bamboo shoots-inspired gown landing in the pages of Shanghai Daily.

And what are clothes without accessories? Accessories genius Arnel Papa strung together simply fab neckpieces made of carabao horn, mother-of-pearl, etc. to add pizzazz to the clothes. Arnel’s accessories can be found in the shelves of high-end boutiques in the US.

Taking Philippine fashion to the streets with their indigenous fabrics and never-before-seen styles were Vic Barba, Bong Garcia, Gerry Katigbak, Robi Lolin, Tippi Ocampo and Ramil Noveda.

Our lowly banig, along with raffia, ikat and other native materials, was transformed into chic clubwear with touches of embroidery and opulent beadwork by Patrice Ramos-Diaz, Arcy Gayatin, PJ Arañador, Dennis Lustico, Tonichi Nocom, Dong Omaga-Diaz, Randy Ortiz, Alex Pigao, and Lulu Tan-Gan.

Pina Mania

Vic Barba, who promised "a witty, young but left-of-center look" did not disappoint. This time, the innovative designer played around with indigenous fabrics like piña and Mindanao silk.

Randy Ortiz put together piña sinuksok, Mindanao silk and threads from Baguio. He did a lot of embroidery and dyed his fabrics in aqua, burnt orange, red, and emerald green.

For his part, Nono Palmos came up with an all-hablon collection (yes, including his signature bubble bridal gown with a pearl-studded top and a skirt made of hablon with gold threads).

"I’d like to promote our hablon from Miagao, Iloilo where I come from," says Nono. "Hablon weaving is a dying industry in Iloilo."

Inspired by the world-famous sunset on Manila Bay, Bong Garcia’s summer collection glowed in yellow, red and orange – the colors of the sun as it starts to fade on the bay’s blue horizon," Bong waxes romantic.

For evening wear, Larry Espinosa, Len Nepomuceno-Guiao, OJ Hofer, Rajo Laurel, Ricci Lizaso, Jojie Lloren, Tonichi Nocom, Bobby Novenario, Nono Palmos, and Frederick Peralta drew inspiration from the kaleidoscope of colors of the mythical sarimanok. Len dazzled ’em with her amethyst collection while Jojie dandyfied the Ninja costume.

"We’re trying to veer away from the terno image," Tonichi gingerly points out. "There are some touches of it, but not from start to finish so the Shanghainese will not say, ‘Is this all there is to Philippine fashion?’"

Ricci Lizaso had his Ricci-rich red three-piecer in paisley design with beadwork and an inner blouse with Chinese buttons. "It’s Filipino and Chinese fashions combined," he describes.

Dong Omaga-Diaz, who just came home from a scholarship in Paris, combined silk organza with our very own woven abaca to create what he called "something of luxury with the use of local materials."

Queen of knits Lulu Tan-Gan went into the knitty-gritty of fusing abaca and knits. How very knit and lovely!

East Marries West

Manila Wear seamlessly married the best of our indigenous fabrics with foreign inspirations.

"Manila Wear is a mix of influences from the East and the West," asserts Tonichi. "The Chinese have traded with us since the ancient times while the Spaniards ruled us for a long time."

Tracing his roots to China, Tonichi is no stranger to Shanghai. The interpreter of the group, Tonichi speaks Mandarin like a native. "My father built a schoolbuilding in the Fujian province," he tells us.

Tonichi gave male classic basics a refreshing twist with the use of eclectic fabric.

Ooohs and aaahs filled the hall as the models glided down in dream wedding gowns at the bridal finale. Then, the designers came out and took a bow in identical black suits.

"By dressing alike, we’d like to impress on people one Filipino design identity," gushes Randy. "This is what the new set of Filipino designers can offer to the world. We felt so proud to be Filipino!"

He elaborates, "FDCP’s mission vision is to develop international branding for Philippine fashion. So far, we’ve been getting support from the government through CITEM. Then there’s the Garments and Textile Export Board."

With international designer Josie Cruz-Natori at the helm, the FDCP was created in 1995 to promote Filipino designers in local and global markets. Through the FDCP, local designers have reaped major awards in international competitions like the Concours International des Jeunes Creatures de Mode in Paris, France and Japan’s Asian Collection Makuhari Grand Prix and Asian Fresh Designers Contest. Today, the council has about 30 active members and has grown to include "lifestyle" members like Lila Almario for shoes, Anton Barretto for houseware, and Laura Bertoto for makeup.

In October last year, Randy, together with Patrice, Vic and Tonichi, went on a mission tour to study the Shanghai market and meet with textile manufacturers, retailers and design people there.

"Shanghai, the second largest city of China with a population of 17 million, is very cosmopolitan," says Randy. "The prospects are staggering for high-end designer labels. There’s a big market for made-to-order wedding gowns."

Fact is, a day after his arrival in Manila, Ricci Lizaso got an e-mail from a Filipino-Chinese owner of a bridal boutique, inquiring about his bouffant bridal gown with crushed draping.

"The Chinese are rather conservative," says Ricci. "But they’re starting to open up to today’s fashion."

"China is well-known for its tailors so what we can offer instead is our design services," Tonichi notes.

"The China market can take a bit of educating," Jojie Lloren observes. "Perhaps it is in design where we can come in."

"We have so much of creative minds it’s about time people realized that not only Europeans and Americans have the fashion sense," says Frederick Peralta. "Filipino designers have been winning awards not just in Asia but also in Europe. We can surpass what the others can deliver. Hopefully, the government will help us when we’re ready to do business not just in Shanghai. Like we could produce piña in big volumes to sell abroad or promote locally."

"The Shanghai market is open to new things, which is why it’s quite cosmopolitan and advanced," Vic Barba shares. "The big name brands in Europe are in Shanghai. We’re not going to compete with Europe. As a council, we’re trying to push tropical dressing. This is what we do best and this is how we want to be perceived in the world market."

"We can target the high-end market and offer the Chinese our beadwork and embroidery, but not the way they do it," offers Patrice Ramos-Diaz. "They have the money and they’re very much into fashion."

"Eventually, I want to put up a couture business in Shanghai," muses Nono Palmos.

For starters, when the lifestyle store Magazine – co-owned by retail king Ben Chan, Liwayway Gawgaw and Oishi scion Carlson Chan and restaurateur-man of the world Franco Lauro – opens in Shanghai in May, it will carry FDCP’s cruise wear or casuals on its very select racks.

But then, the FDCP designers would be the first to tell you that they really didn’t go to Shanghai to sell their clothes. It was simply a show-and-tell event: To show Filipino creativity via Manila Wear and tell them there’s more where it comes from.

And judging from the houseful of people who watched and stayed till the lights went out, Shanghai was only too happy to say hi to our designers!