Moda de Filipinas showcase fetes 70th year of PH-UK ties

LONDON – The inaugural run of “Moda De Filipinas,” London’s newest showcase for emerging South East Asian designers, took place at the Millennium Conference Centre in South Kensington, Saturday, Oct. 16.

Showcased throughout the evening were collections from five contemporary Filipino designers, namely, Ann Ong Jewellery, Isabelle Landicho, Jared Servano, Pipoy Bernado and Chris Jasler.

Manila-based fashion designer Jared Servano, originally hailing from Southern Mindanao, updated traditional culture for the runway with his modern take on the clothing of the indigenous Blaan and Tboli people.

Leather, denim and gothic chain masks swept the catwalk as “Jail Jeans” founder and creative Chris Jasler, who first ventured into the fashion world as a runway and print model in the Philippines, brought an edgier sensibility to the showcase.

Filipino designer, costumier and wearable art creator, Pipoy Bernado, took inspiration from nature, interpreting traditional Filipiñiana dress in terms of foliage, flora and the environment. Bernado said: “As a creator of fashion and as a Filipino, I would like to do my share in raising awareness of the environment, its fragile beauty, and the danger it faces through [this] collection.”

Isabelle Landicho, a London-based stylist and menswear designer, showcased a range of modern menswear from her collection, “Hey There! Kill Me Now!” Inspired by millennial disenchantment, wasted suburbia and Harmony Korine’s cult movie Gummo, elements of “Hey There! Kill Me Now!” included tongue-in-cheek embroidery on sports-luxe cuts.

International award-winning designer Ann Ong, the first Filipina to win Best Product Design in Sustainability at the New York Now trade show in January 2016, accessorized the collections with uniquely hand-casted metal statement jewelry pieces, each dipped in 24K gold and adorned with semi-precious stones.

The show featured 26 models, both male and female, primarily of Philippine descent.

70^th year of PH-UK relations

Ambassador Evan Garcia said in his opening speech, “[Tonight] is important because it’s part of our 70th anniversary celebrations in the UK. This is the celebration of food, film, fashion and fun in the Philippines.”

Major event partners included Philippine Airlines, the Department of Tourism, Sam Travel, the Greg Seckers Foundation and the Philippine Embassy London, who supported the event as part of the celebrations of the 70th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between the Philippines and the UK.

Garcia added: “Let me thank each and every one of you for all you’ve done for [the Philippines]. The UK was the single largest donor, both private and public, of assistance to the Philippines. All of you contributed to that.”

The audience was also treated to performances by the Lahing Kayumanggi Dance Company, singer-songwriter Clarissa Mae and performers Miguel Diaz and Kelz Gamboa.

Following the show, designer Landicho said: “I’m honored to be here, and I’m really glad that I’m able to represent Filipino youth culture in London.”

On Philippine fashion, Bernado said, “To be able to stand out, I believe that Philippine design should express our heritage, but, at the same time, illustrate innovation and versatility. That should make it timeless and widely-appealing.”

Creative Director Ronnie del Barrio, whose company DitséProductions helped make the showcase possible, expressed his gratitude for the event.

“It means so much to me, to everyone, to encourage our very own fashion designers back home and in London, and to show their best. We know that they really can compete in Europe and globally.”

Del Barrio added: “It’s wonderful to explore the fashion platform, and be on the journey of genre in fashion — fashion is the combination of attitude, beauty and the quirkiness of our personalities.”-@melissalegarda

View comments

TAGS: “Moda De Filipinas”, Department of Tourism, Fashion design, Philippine Airlines