IN 1998, GMA Films produced José Rizal, a historical drama about our National Hero. The landmark film involved future National Artists—director Marilou Diaz-Abaya (Film), cowriter Ricardo Lee (Film and Broadcast Arts), Tony Mabesa (Theater) and Kidlat Tahimik (Film).
This year, GMA Network produces the top-rating Maria Clara at Ibarra, based on the characters of Rizal’s provocative novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. The TV series, which airs weeknights, is a time-traveling/fantasy tale that has been mesmerizing the Gen Z demographic.
People applaud the show for its powerful but non-didactic take on history. It may also be credited for a rising interest in Rizal’s life and books, as well as a resurgence on the dying artisanal skills of our craftsmen.
The cast performances are acclaimed across the board, as well as the production and writing. What’s also most impressive is the faithful depictions of the fashions of the era. Kudos goes to the stellar work in the styling of the characters by Janra Raroque and Roko Arceo (with Mikaella Borinaga).
STYLING VS COSTUME DESIGNING
Raroque studied fine arts at the Far Eastern University. Arceo studied multimedia arts at the College of Saint Benilde, and courses in pattern making, sewing and styling at the Fashion Institute of the Philippines.
Arceo says: “As stylists, we source the pieces, set the mood, curate and decide on what the characters will wear based on the scenes. We study the character sketches, read the script and collaborate with the designers, giving them the artistic freedom to create the garments.”
Raroque: “It is a more appropriate term because costume designing usually implies that we are the ones who make the costumes ourselves.”
MOST TECHNICALLY CHALLENGING COSTUMES
Raroque: “We think that all of the costumes are all technically challenging because we’re basing our costumes on paintings and sketches. We only have a couple of photos from books and online as references but no actual garments. The procurement process of the fabrics and accessories was the most challenging because most of it was difficult to source out.
“We went all over Luzon to source out fabrics. We scoured through all the shops in Divisoria selling vintage lace, trimmings and menswear fabrics, Vigan for the nipis, a super thin gauze-like material used by the working class, and inabel, a woven cotton fabric made by the Ilocanos. “We also went to Lumban, Laguna, for the embroidered piña fabri. Margie Sorio, our costylist, went all the way to Abra for the upo salakot worn by Elias.
“We also had to seek out local artisans who are knowledgeable of repoussé, or pukpok—the metal art technique for our peinetas, tambourine accessories, escapulares, fan guards, metal embellishments attached to the corchos and even the buttons and belt buckles used by the guardia civil. This method is a rare and dying craft but we were lucky to have worked with the very few local artisans who knew this technique.”
CONSULTANTS ON HISTORY
Arceo: “Besides [fashion historian/scenographer] Gino Gonzales, we have also been working closely with Dr. Siao Campoamor, vice chancellor and professor of the Department of Filipino and Philippine Literature in University of the Philippines Diliman. We consult every scene with him, especially when we can’t understand Rizal’s detailed description in the book. We also referenced some of the looks on Juan Luna’s Bocetos and Leonard Tayao-Cruz’s Noli Me Tangere paintings.
“Francis Gum, a noted fashion photographer who is based in the US, also took photos of the Pineapple to Piña exhibit at the SFO Museum. The photos helped us pattern our garments and gave us a closer look on the early embroidery designs. We also used online copies of Edward Minister and Son’s The Gazette of Fashion from the 1860-1890s for Ibarra’s Western looks.
“For this project, we tried to stay true to the garments used in that era, thus all of our garments are custom-made. A great deal of effort came from the tailors, designers and artisans who painstakingly worked on all our garments and accessories. We worked with R Casedo’s Embroidery for all the embroidered piña fabrics, Ben Torres Metal Crafts for our repoussé accessories, Kianna Lazaro of Bride House for executing all of our womenswear, and Ryan Chris Baylen for all of our menswear looks. They poured all of their passion and hard work into this project and we can’t thank them enough.”
COSTUMES ARE INTEGRAL TO DRIVE THE NARRATIVE
Arceo: “For Ibarra, we incorporated 1880s European menswear patterns and tailoring into his look. This is to reflect the character’s European upbringing. The Western fashions of the time consisted of coats, waistcoats and trousers—completing the look with a top hat, cravat tie, pocket watch and a walking stick. But as the show progresses, we will be adjusting his looks to more weather-appropriate fabrics and colors and adding a couple of barong Tagalog outfits in the mix.
“This European silhouette is in contrast to Elias, which is inspired by the working-class Indio men. We tried to keep him as simple as possible, utilizing fabrics that reflect his social status.”
Raroque: “For Barbie’s character Klay, since she is from the year 2022, we wanted to make her look as if she is from the outside looking in—in a sense, she stands out from the rest of the characters. Her silhouette is inspired by the 1860s, since she is mostly wearing hand-me-downs from Ibarra’s mother. The shape of her skirts are much more of a ball shape, which was the trend at the time. Her skirts are also pleated in the style of siete cuchillos, or a skirt with seven panels.
“These details, I believe, differentiate Klay, a ‘modern Maria Clara’, from our OG ‘Maria Clara’. To create Julie Ann’s look for the show, we wanted to create the essential Traje de Mestiza, the traditional dress that was named after the character. The silhouette is inspired by the 1880s— her saya comes with trails in floral and damask prints. She also has elaborate accessories, the peineta, the Porta Abanico, her Victorian cameo choker, a tambourine necklace and earrings—all of which are gilded in gold, to signify her social status as an Illustrado woman.
“With Sisa, we took inspiration from the baro’t saya worn by Filipinas who were lower class. Even though it lacks the embellishments and finer details of the Traje de Mestiza, there is beauty in how the Indio women draped the tapis and the saya to match their lifestyle, working in the fields during the day.
“Costumes are integral for the world-building that the narrative requires, especially that social status is a huge component in the original novel.”