Philippine fashion and culture wows Toronto
Philippine Independence Day was celebrated in pure style in Toronto with the first-ever Canada Philippine Fashion Week (CPFW) from June 10 to 15. The six-day series of events organized by successful and patriotic Filipino-Canadians led by broadcaster, creative director, TV host and former VJ Jeff Rustia, showcased a variety of visual presentations that not only captured and enhanced public awareness of Filipino creativity, as well the rich cultural heritage of our country in the global stage, but also opened up fashion trade between the Philippines and Canada.
The CPFW brought to the Toronto catwalk the very best avant-garde, cutting-edge and iconic masterpieces of Filipino designers from both the Philippines and Canada such as Francis Libiran, Noel Crisostomo, Roland Alzate, Norman Noriega, Leonard Co, Brian Maristela and John Ablaza.
Francis Libiran presented a 70-piece collection on the runway and a 30-piece Retro Collection in an elaborately designed exhibit utilizing 30 identical white mannequins at the circular lobby of the elegant Roy Thompson Hall, Toronto’s premiere events venue. Noel Crisostomo, who moved back to the Philippines from Canada in 2007, presented a collection of short and long women’s pieces with his version of architectural and modern elegance. Roland Alzate — Look of Style 2012 winner and, most recently, the new women’s wear designer of popular Filipino brand Bench — brought his eco-chic designs of modern, sophisticated silhouettes to the runway.
Norman Noriega showed a collection of highly-tailored, minimalist women’s wear with a play of iridescence. Leonard Co, who dressed some of the Canadian stars who attended the Canada Philippine Fashion Week, impressed with his beadwork and detailed craftsmanship of long formal gowns and men’s barongs.
Filipino-Canadian designer Brian Maristela, winner of Canada’s prestigious 3M Brand Award, sent down the runway pieces with forward tailoring and directional detailing in classic Filipino materials for both men and women. John Ablaza had a gala fashion show of designs influenced by the era of Jose Rizal, the famous arts and adornments of different Filipino tribes and the mythical Filipino folklore, Ibong Adarna. Bag designer and homegrown talent Amina Aranaz joined the all-male designer lineup and showed her exquisite bags at the trade show.
Alongside the fashion events was an equally impressive lineup of cultural programs that opened with the highly-anticipated “Fashionable Evening with Jose Rizal,†a tribute to our National Hero through fashion, film and exhibit. This nod to Jose Rizal began with an extensive exhibit titled “The Fashion Statement of Jose Rizal†which featured the personal belongings and clothing worn by our National Hero. It was followed by the Canadian premiere of the documentary film Jose Rizal, The Hero at the Tiff Bell Lightbox Theatre and a Q&A with the cast, producers and crew right after. Topping off the day’s festivities was a Rizalian-inspired fashion show by the film’s costume designer, Filipino fashion designer John Ablaza.
Complementing the Jose Rizal-themed cultural and historical segment of the CPFW were multimedia presentations on Filipino fashion, art and culture with a special “Mangyan Tribe†exhibit taking center stage. Curated by John Ablaza, it brought to the forefront the beautiful fabrics, beadwork, art and handiwork of the Mangyans of Mindoro whose passionate patron is none other than Doña Bea Zobel de Ayala. Paintings of T’boli women and Ibong Adarna by Ging Relativo were also on display.
Fiesta met couture in the lavish and colorful production of Pistahan de Couture, a fashion extravaganza that paid homage to the many diverse Philippine festivals like the Ati-Atihan, the Moriones, the Sinulog and the Flores de Mayo.
It would not be Canada Philippine Fashion Week without the participation of Canadian fashion designers; in an event titled “Project Terno,†the spotlight was trained on 10 of Canada’s top designers and their individual, artistic spin on our iconic national costume the terno, otherwise known as the Butterfly dress. Armed with a full creative brief and the history of the terno, the Canadian designers were challenged to design a terno that represented their own creative brand and philosophy using fabrics and materials of their choosing. The SRO event celebrated the international appeal of our national costume, considered to be one of the most haute couture in the world.
Last but certainly not the least was the North America launch of the Ramp Diva Filipina book, a 40-year retrospective on Filipina models and the indelible mark they have left on Philippine fashion. Photographers Wig Tysmans, Ash Velasco, Arvin Cruz, Bethoven Filomeno and Dooki Ducay lent their time and talent to photograph the models as they are today. A project and labor of love by John Ablaza, this coffee-table book is a must-have for all fashionistas.
The Canada Philippine Fashion Week drew an audience of over 80,000 people, an impressive number for a maiden project. Filipinos living in Canada came in full force and enjoyed the carefully selected, well-organized shows and events with Toronto’s elite, diplomatic community and celebrities. Recently crowned Miss Canada Universe 2013, Filipina beauty Riza Santos participated in some of the events, to the delight of the CPFW attendees. Joining her was Keisha Papasin, previous Miss Philippines Canada winner and one of Manila’s current fashion supermodels Ria Bolivar.
With its resounding success, there are plans to make the Canada Philippine Fashion Week an annual Philippine Independence Day tradition. Philippine flags flew proudly all over Toronto for the duration of the momentous occasion; more importantly, Philippine fashion, arts and culture reigned supreme in one of Canada’s most vibrant, cosmopolitan cities.
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The Canada Philippine Fashion Week will benefit the Kol Hope Foundation, a charitable organization based in Canada that supports children born with disabilities. To find out more about the CPFW, go to canadaphilippinefashionweek.com Special thanks to Arvin Cruz for providing the photos for this feature.
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