- Stylists spoke up about the concept of the outfits and where they sourced the viral prints.
- It's not peculiar to see the same fabrics in clothes and bags—at least in Ethiopia.
It's probably one of the most controversial pictorials.
Billy Crawford and Coleen Garcia's photoshoot was on location in Ethiopia, Africa, where the couple posed with some locals.
Netizens were divided over the photos and the message they conveyed. Some of them claimed that the Ethiopians appeared like "props" in the pictorial while others thought that there was nothing wrong and commented it was "artistic" and "tasteful."
Over the weekend, the photos of the couple's outfits went viral. What at first seemed like clothing from a fashion magazine spread were juxtaposed with sofa covers, bags, a blanket and a bed sheet, and pillowcases with the same prints.
The Philippine Entertainment Portal talked to the couple's stylist, Adrianne Concepcion. She explained that the concept for Billy and Coleen's airline-produced photoshoot was all about "bold prints, textures and rich colors."
Concepcion had a collaboration with Filipino designers to achieve this goal. But there was something amiss—the team could not find African prints native to Ethiopia.
So they were given the freedom to interpret the brief.
Billy's suit, designed by Ryan Uson, and Coleen's gown by John Rufo, gained attention on Facebook with posts pointing out its similarity with a bag and a sofa cover.
Apparently, Uson used cloth purchased from a "very famous fabric shop." She added that she does not see anything wrong with it since most designers and fabric enthusiasts use same fabrics in completely different occasions.
Concepcion said: "I hope people see the good and even the humor of it."
Billy, at least, injected some humor into what seemed an uncomfortable position. Posting the juxtaposed photos on his Instagram account, he credited netizens by using the hashtag "stylist is dead."
"Billy and @coleen out! #MicDrop seriously sa lahat ng gumawa nito salamat binuhay n'yo katawang lupa namin pero pinatay n'yo ang stylist namin! Bwahahahahaha," the television host wrote.
Wearing your sofa: Not as weird in Ethiopia
Concepcion, the stylist, previously noted that her team does not have any specific pattern to base the couple's outfits on.
According to The Ethiopian Reporter, the country considers weaving their "way of life."
This means that Ethiopia creates patterns unique to their culture. In the olden times, their traditional attires were made from handwoven textiles.
A unique characteristic of their fabric is called the "tibeb." It is the decoration or pattern handwoven into the edge of the traditional long white garb called the "shamma" or "shemma" for women.
Jannes Waples Gibson of Textile Society America noted that the following are utilized for making Ethiopian patterns: Cotton, silk, metallic, rayon, acrylic, and wool yarns.
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Nowadays, the "tibeb" is incorporated into shawls, pillowcases, bags, and basket items, among others.
While we have are yet to trace the origins of the prints used in Billy and Coleen, using the same fabric for clothes and furniture is not a peculiar activity in Ethiopia.