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THE
Grand Dame of Philippine Fashion Patis Tesoro needs no
introduction. Thus, my editor issued the command:
“Go!” And I, without hesitation, went. I must admit
that I am not an expert in fashion design but I am a
sincere lover of Philippine costume, an “amateur” (ama=love)
in the true sense of the word. My background in weaving
and dyeing, having trained at the Kawashima Textile
School in Kyoto, has further heightened my appreciation
for the products of local looms. Tesoro’s efforts in
reviving local traditions are quite well-known and this
exhibit, in many ways, celebrates her accomplishments as
artist-designer, entrepreneur and protector of faith in
Philippine culture.
“Patis”
is nearly synonymous with wedding gowns. This exhibit
shows that this should not be the case. To limit her
name to gowns would be highly improper, for she is also
as versatile in the design of traditional wear for men.
For instance, her design of a “Barong with Patchwork”
for Jose Mari Treñas, a noted collector of Philippine
paintings and bulol figures, shows a playful departure
from the convention of “absolute bisymmetry” in shirt
design. Instead of placing parallel button strings for
each side of the front of the shirt, she places them
alternately, one below the other, producing a zigzag
effect. Although not carried in the annotation, this
barong is of the camiso or camiso chino cut, a simple
design that I most especially prefer over the frilly
“old barong” cut. This piece is most probably made of
fine abaca or cotton in loose plain weave. The clear cut
and the bold monochromatic checkered design (dark blue
over a light cream of unbleached fiber) make this barong
easily adaptable to contemporary fashion, fine and
light, and not sticking out like a sore thumb.
A VERITABLE
masterpiece(left), using as ornamentation ancient
Philippine script. ANOTHER exquisite
baro’t saya(right)
from Patis Tesoro
Another
excellent design for the camiso-barong (and this time
the exhibit annotation does mention that it is of the
camiso type) is from the Ado Escudero collection. This
camiso-barong is decidedly Chinese in theme, a fitting
tribute to the great civilization from which Philippine
culture has benefited and borrowed liberally (no
political pun intended). What I like about this barong
is its subdued elegance. Although it has more color
than the Treñas barong, it does not overpower like the
costumes of the Chinese opera or kabuki for that matter.
This one seems to be tempered by Tagalog sensibilities
that favor muted colors and transparency, a gentle
hybrid with a high degree of refinement. Ochre,
yellows, oranges, spare reds and accents of gold float
over a cream-colored base of fine piña-silk. The red
dragons are like shadows of spirit guides enveloping the
body of its host or exotic tattoo revealed under mist.
So much for poetic language, this is a perfect camiso-barong
for the confident and unorthodox fashionista. (I
earnestly hope that Tesoro makes more barong of this
kind, and I will be the first to buy!)
A
veritable masterpiece can be seen in “Dress-Black Dyed
Piña with Siete Kuchilios Skirt.” The cut is very
simple and the silhouette that is rendered is also very
clear, reminiscent of a bell-shaped fuchsia flower. The
sleeves are that of a baro of an earlier period. Though
not yet in full shape, they suggest the beginnings of
the famous butterfly sleeves of the modern terno. The
skirt seems to borrow its vertical stripes from the
traditional Maria Clara. What makes it different and
exciting is ornamentation that uses calligraphic print
of ancient Philippine script. What script...we really do
not know at this point, and perhaps this is where Tesoro
can use some suggestions for improvement. Yes, fashion
as any form of art can speak for itself. However, it
can be more eloquent and informative if annotated
properly. Otherwise, why put it on exhibit in a museum
that aims to educate the public?
THE “ Barong
with Patchwork” for Jose Mari Treñas
Near the
entrance section of the Metropolitan Museum of Manila,
Tesoro’s “Ninay’ dolls are on exhibit and sale. The
dolls were made in collaboration with foremost portrait
painter Romulo “Mulong” Galicano. These dolls are
important because they strive to recreate the atmosphere
of a bygone era not only through costumes but also
through so-called genre scenes. These doll compositions
are replete in symbols and meanings of Philippine
culture. After viewing the dolls, two challenges become
apparent, but note that by no means do these challenges
reduce the aesthetic value of this collection. First,
the dolls overly favor Philippine “lowland Christian”
culture. And second, the scale of the costumes is more
than slightly exaggerated, making the figure “billow” in
cloth. Will I buy them? Oh, yes, if I have the money
or the space. Suggestion (unsolicited and perhaps a bit
brusque): scale it to fit a Tanduay or a Ginebra bottle,
and perhaps the global diaspora of Filipinos can start
to consume them.
Beyond
wedding gowns, formal barong and baro’t saya...indeed,
beautiful and admirable creations all their own, Tesoro
interpretations of Filipino wear have limitless
possibilities. She has done already much. She has
helped revive erstwhile moribund weaving and dyeing
traditions, and without doubt she can go to many other
places to pursue many other goals. I, for one, would
like to see her develop a line for the Filipino of the
working class, the office workers, the teachers, perhaps
even the jeepney driver. They (and I should really say
“we”) also deserve good Filipino fashion made of
indigenous Philippine materials lovingly crafted by
Filipino hands. It is obvious that a greater part of
the population no longer has time or budget for gusot
mayaman, crinkled/wrinkled textiles of the rich,
epitomized by the piña (pineapple fiber) cloth. Could
something be devised of cotton-piña, cotton-abaca or
cotton silk blends to make the Filipino costume more
accessible? Alas, the synthetic santana barong cloth,
having the sheen and texture of the most excellent of
polyester (a hint of sarcasm intended), cannot be deemed
as one of the best of our collective creations as a
people. Indeed, it has been and is associated with
crassly designed uniforms of security guards of the rich
and famous, an unfortunate and unnecessary indicator of
class division and the absence of egalitarianism. Good
taste and fashion are in dire need of democratization.
n The Postura exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum is
ongoing until August 30. For inquiries: 523-7855. |
