A WHITE backdrop served as the visual centerpiece for the presentation of the Fashion Designers Association of the Philippines’s (FDAP) “Summer Saga” collection at the Cherry Blossoms Hotel in Ermita. On the runway were a mix of bold fabrics, floral prints and breezy pieces that accentuated the simplicity of the show’s overall aesthetic.
Featured were the works of member-designers Benhur Dychangco, Danika Damo, Gil Granado, James O’ Briant, Russ Cuevas and FDAP Chairman Nardie Presa. “The show started from a tree-lighting last year in Crowne Plaza, then we did the ‘High Fashion High Tea’ at Holiday Inn Manila Galleria, and now now it’s here,” production director Geena Zablan said.
“In terms of sustainability, we already have bookings in October this year so if everything goes well, we will do it. This was all the idea of FDAP, headed by Nardy. He personally gathered the designers, as well,” she added.
The roster comprised of designers from different social backgrounds who were leading different career paths before they made the jump into the world of fashion design.
Cuevas was a medical representative for 13 years, Granado was a ramp model. Damo and Dychangco were involved in other trades before joining the FDAP.
“I enrolled in fashion design at the Fashion Institute of the Philippines. While I was working as a med rep, I was also studying. When I graduated, that was the time when I resigned from work and marked the start of my journey as a designer,” Cuevas said.
Granado, on the other hand, said: “When I realized the years were getting by, I decided to enter design and I tried joining competitions. I won awards, not the major ones, but still I’m proud of those wins.”
The shift hasn’t been easy for the two, and as Granado put it: “Fashion is a cruel world. You need to learn to adapt with the times in order to survive.” The hardest part, according to Cuevas, was surpassing his own collection to make something even better, a struggle which many designers relate to.
Meanwhile, Damo said: “I started 2011, a late bloomer in the fashion industry one might say, but I’d dreamt of becoming a designer since I was a kid. I used to work also in different countries like Japan and Indonesia. I would routinely remind myself that I need to pursue this passion. In 2011 I was awarded as Best Ilocandia Designer. I was also with the Fashion Designers Association of the Philippines last year for another fashion show.”
Dychangco started in 1993 as a start-up designer. A year later he ventured into another career. “I went back two years ago and at about the same time I was featured in Philippine Airlines’s Mabuhay magazine.”
What would they say to people who want to pursue a career in fashion design? A collective answer came up: “It’s never too late.”
“You’ve got to start somewhere. It doesn’t matter where you are right now; what’s important is where you want to be,” Damo said.