Deconstructing Gian

I have three things from Gian Romano: A deconstructed white men’s shirt, a classic in Gian standards; a ripped-up slate cardigan; and a pair of baggy trousers that skim the knee. All stand out, despite the years they’ve been in my possession; these three pieces make themselves relevant season after season in my wardrobe.

What sets Gian apart is his almost casual indifference to fashion itself. He’s no peacock. He preens not through desperate embellishments but through his raw cuts sewn together stealthily by his precise tailoring. Gian is an artist.

Gian’s story is the stuff of fashion fairy tales. He dreamed of fabric in the Philippines and, the next thing he knew, he was right smack on Portobello Road, living in London and going to Central Saint Martins, the esteemed fashion school that has cradled the talents of geniuses such as Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen. But his talents encompass every vein in fashion. “It was just a hobby, having clothes made, because I couldn’t find the clothes I wanted. Back in 2000 when I was checking out the store Milkwear they noticed my pants and asked me if I wanted to consign my stuff there. From then on, the whole designing thing came about.”

As for styling: “Well, basically when I got back from New York in 2002 I told Ana Kalaw about this concept I had in mind for an editorial and told her to do it; but instead they gave me the chance to execute the whole thing. Up to this day, I still do both but I’m just dividing my time between designing and styling since I enjoy doing both. I think it’s an outlet for different ideas to be executed.” A few years later, when he was only in his early 20s, Preview magazine gave Gian a remarkable and exhaustive fashion tribute to applaud his efforts. It’s the collection from which I got my white shirt and cardigan. It’s never too early to be legendary.

He went home with a treasure trove of ideas and a sleek and individual perspective on style. “It’s actually a long process when I start a collection. Unknowingly most collections start even when I’m working on the current one.  Inspirations are gathered everywhere from photos I take or something that I see. Lately I’ve been documenting a lot. Now I don’t draw so much most of the time. I just randomly make the pattern of the garment and construct it.”

Gian is brewing up something special to end the year with. Being a fan, I wanted to reminisce over the work of Gian from his winning YDG collection (he counts this — with its breathtaking rib jacket — as a favorite since he made the collection all by his lonesome), through his showpieces to simply his private collection, which is sometimes seen on the backs of the coolest girls in Fluxxe.

Ever the social animal, Gian draws inspiration from the cool and unexpected: “Music, people around me, circumstances, animals, insects, human anatomy, human behavior.” The last one is what perhaps defines his work the most, at least in my sleeves. “I think it’s the whole ‘being detached from the local industry.’ I mean, not being totally detached from everything, but mainly not focusing my life as just being in the fashion industry but looking into different facets and sources of ideas. Which I translate to what I do, mainly clothes.”