Barong Tagalog book weaves our story as a people
MANILA, Philippines – A coffee table book called Garment of Honor, Garment of Identity was recently launched by the EN Barong Filipino, a boutique chain specializing in the garment. Culminating over four years of research by Dr. Corazon Hila, Mitzi Reyes, and Anita Feleo, Garment of Honor, Garment of Identity is also a visual masterpiece. Acclaimed photographer Neal Oshima captures the rich culture and stories behind the fabric, while layout design by Felix Mago Miguel enhances their visual magic. The book gives the readers an engaging journey, paying tribute to it as the garment that truly represents our national identity.
The dream to publish the book springs from EN Barong Filipino’s founder, Felicidad Nadres, who wanted to tell Filipinos that there is hope as long as there is daring, hard work, people to live for and faith. Of humble beginnings, she rose to where she is now on her own steam. She’d like to tell many other “ordinary” Filipinos that they, too, can make it. That it’s great to be who you are. It’s great to be Filipino.
Garment of Honor, Garment of Identity offers a wealth of riveting information. Did you know that although the barong evolved from the baro, the garment of pre-colonial Filipinos, its popular name, barong tagalog was coined quite recently, in the 1920s? That every barong embroidery motif has a name, from the self-explanatory kadena (chain outline) to the romantic pinuso (heart-shaped petal or leaf) and tongue twisting sulsing abot-abot (sunning stitches)?
Garment of Honor, Garment of Identity gives readers an overview of the past, present and future of the barong. The book takes a journey to Batangas, Laguna, Bulacan, Bacolod, Iloilo, Palawan, and Aklan, where exquisite embroidery and piña creations take shape. EN Barong Filipino regards the barong artisans as unsung heroes of Philippine art, who must be celebrated for their unique offering to a well-loved tradition.
Contemporary artists are now romancing barong fabrics and the garment itself with fresh perspectives, from hand painted ornamentation to exploring pintado (tattooed body) designs. Barong Filipino is also leading in using new approaches to the traditional garment. A buying trip led Mrs. Nadres to an improbable place — a sanitorium in Santa Barbara, Iloilo. This is where WUTHLE (Women United Through Lace and Embroidery, Inc.) hangs its modest shingle, though nothing is humble about its principal ware — Belgian lace. Nadres’ serendipitous discovery prompted the design of the subtly elegant Belgian lace-trimmed Barong Filipino line.
More stories of personalities and the lives and artisans behind the barong are captured in Garment of Honor, Garment of Identity. Who could have ever thought that a shirt so familiar to us could be so enthralling? The barong tagalog is the garment of defining moments in the lives of Filipinos. To know more about it is to know more about the Filipinos as a people.
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The book is available at Powerbooks, National Bookstore, Fully Booked, and Kultura Filipino. For orders: email garmentofhonor@gmail.com, call 455-0430 / 920-4952 or visit www.enbarongfilipino.com.
