The barong goes multicultural

MANILA, Philippines - Drawing inspiration from various colorful cultures of the world, fashion designer Jeannie Goulbourn of Silk Cocoon creates a unique Barong Tagalog collection that celebrates the beauty of cultural diversity. 

Embellished with natural beads, raffia, mother-of-pearl stones, handcrafted embroidery, and other organic and stylish ornamentation for texture, the look of the barong is undeniably multidimensional and, yes, multicultural! 

Goulbourn captures the vibrancy of native African art in a folksy color interplay of vivid green, blue, yellow and brick red using multicolored coco beads and African patterns for embroidery design.

Paying homage to the classic Mandarin look, she lends a touch of Oriental elegance on a white hand-woven silk complete with distinctive Chinese embroidery, buttons and collar.

Goulbourn waxes poetic, depicting the boundless calm waters of the South Seas in hand-woven embroidered twines lavishly accentuated with mother-of-pearl stones in white and yellow.

“The barong is actually a very versatile garment,” says Goulbourn. “It can be done in different colors, accessorized in countless ways, and can even be styled into a modern tunic or jacket,” she adds.

Her concept of a contemporary barong, in fact, is something that is structured like a jacket, adorned with beautiful embroidery. As she notes, it “can be proudly worn anywhere in the world and not look out of place.”

The global appeal of the barong Tagalog has been remarkable in recent years, thanks in part to Goulbourn’s talent and hard work. “When Silk Cocoon was tasked to dress the 18 world leaders during the 1996 APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Summit, the barong sparked a worldwide curiosity, and was featured extensively on BBC and CNN,” recalls Goulbourn, giving Silk Cocoon a much-needed international boost.

Silk Cocoon eventually earned an A-list clientele that includes the most influential and prominent figures in the world, among them: South Africa’s first black president Nelson Mandela; US first female Secretary of State Madeleine Albright; Europe’s most visible royalties, Prince Albert of Monaco and Infanta Elena of Spain (the Duchess of Lugo); and new age guru Deepak Chopra.      

Goulbourn admits that half of the magic of Silk Cocoon lies in its signature fabric. “It is original. It is our very own hand-woven silk with a touch of piña. We twist our own silk thread to make it strong, and it lasts for years.” She also points out that they custom-dye their own fabric and can render an exclusive embroidery design for a client.

For the past 19 years, Silk Cocoon has been quite successful in producing a fabric that is truly Filipino in nature, and commercially viable to meet both the interior and fashion design needs in the global market. “We export our fabric to renowned architects and interior designers, and to design houses all over the world,” she adds.

The Silk Cocoon boutique is located at the New World Hotel Shopping Arcade on Esperanza Street corner Makati Avenue, across Greenbelt 3, at the Ayala Center in Makati City.