The city, through Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangang, recently staged the first-ever “Rampa Manila,” a grand fashion show that aims to showcase the artistry and creativity of established and emerging fashion designers and reestablish Manila as the “heart and soul” of Philippine fashion.
By Ma. Angelica Demegillo
Photos by Ericson Castro and Punto Consultancy
The city of Manila is not only the country’s capital. Long before other towns and cities around it grew, it has already earned a reputation the world over as the capital of chic. It’s also a place where the metropolis’ most talented designers have been sourcing their materials and fabrics to be used for their creations. Calle Tabora, Ilaya and Azcarraga in Divisoria are just some of the areas they frequent where plenty of textile merchants sell their wares.
To mark its 452nd founding anniversary, the city of Manila recently held its first-ever “Rampa Manila.” Graced by established and up-and-coming names in the local fashion scene, the show sought to highlight Filipino heritage and culture by showcasing the artistry of both renowned and budding fashion designers.
Seasoned fashion designers Michael Leyva, Puey Quiñones, Albert Andrada, Jo Rubio and Marlon Tuazon were invited to showcase their respective modernized takes on classic Filipiniana finery, with the goal of reestablishing Manila as the center of Philippine fashion.
The first of its kind
In collaboration with Punto Consultancy headed by creative director Bang Pineda and the Department of Tourism, Culture and Arts of Manila, the event served as a testament to the city government’s commitment in reaffirming Manila’s rich culture and history through fashion.
“As Manila serves as the premier city and capital of our country, it can’t be denied that it has also been the epicenter of garment design and fashion. We proudly feature ‘Rampa Manila’ as a step towards revitalizing various industries, including fashion,” Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan said in Filipino in her opening remarks.
Held at the Bulwagang Rodriguez inside the historic Manila City Hall, the venue for “Rampa Manila” oozed sophistication as event organizers transformed the decades-old building into an exquisite and modern space. At the center of the venue was a four-way catwalk, which provided the audience surrounding the stage with a 360-degree view of the fashion show.
Leyva, Andrada, Quiñones, Rubio and Tuazon have long cemented their reputations in the industry and are widely recognized for their respective skills in turning a classic or even avant-garde fashion concept into reality. With years of experience tucked under their proverbial belts, these Filipino designers can craft the most astounding and fairytale-like creations.
For “Rampa Manila,” they took on the challenge to showcase a different version of the Filipiniana.
When it comes to Leyva’s works, one can expect no less than sophistication and elegance. For “Rampa Manila,” he showcased a collection of Filipiniana-inspired bridal gowns and barong.
Quiñones flaunted his creativity, playing with black and white materials and incorporating flamboyant and huge bows into his designs.
Meanwhile, self-proclaimed romanticist Rubio admitted that reintroducing the classic Filipiniana in a new way for “Rampa Manila” was a bit challenging. For his collection, he focused on incorporating embroidered butterflies, folded and sculpted fabrics formed into roses and heavy layers into his designs.
Bold and unapologetic, Tuazon’s works, he said, were influenced by the era of Sampaguita Pictures. This time though, he reimagined the classic terno by resorting to neon colors. He also fashioned a cropped-top barong. To make his looks even more modern, his models wore retro sunglasses as they strutted down the catwalk.
Andrada, on the other hand, who’s known for his love for opulent themes, showcased a sophisticated collection of exquisite Filipiniana gowns.
Much to the audiences’ delight, some notable personalities also made surprise appearances, including Lacuna-Pangan who earned applause as she strutted down the ramp garbed in a sheer black number made of lace by Rubio, former Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso in a white barong by Leyva, and seasoned model-turned-photographer Jo-Ann Bitagcol who slipped into in a show-stopping neon green look by Tuazon.
“Rampa Manila” also put the spotlight on the works of up-and-coming designers Corven Uy, John Jade Montecalvo and Gabriel Buenabajo.
The inspirations for their designs may have come from various sources and mediums, but the designers are all fueled by the same motivation: to elevate Filipino creativity and artistry, and hopefully leave a lasting legacy in the fashion industry here and perhaps even abroad.
Through “Rampa Manila,” organizers hope to preserve the country’s heritage through fashion while giving the Filipino talent an avenue to further shine and flourish.
“[Rampa Manila] generally aims to promote our Filipiniana [finery], but [it’s] dated. So we now showcase kung ano ‘yung uso ngayon – modern na (what’s in fashion and modern these days),” Lacuna-Pangan told PeopleAsia. “In the future, we would like to hone more young designers to follow in the footsteps of our world-renowned Filipino fashion designers and to [encourage people to] keep going to Divisoria and Quiapo – nando’n lahat ng mga textile natin (it is where our textiles are). And, of course, to help produce world-class Filipino talents,” she added.
