Making formidable waves Down Under

Designer Watch: Anthony Capon

MANILA, Philippines - When it comes to fashion, Filipino designers are not far behind. Aside from the US, Europe, Asia and Middle East, Filipino designers are also becoming known in Australia — just like Project Runway Australia Season 2 winner Anthony Capon.

Born in Cebu, Anthony moved to Australia when an Australian family adopted him. “I was put in an orphanage at a very young age. An Australian family adopted me when I was nine months old. I moved to Canberra, the nation’s capital city. I lived there for over 21 years,” he says.

His love for fashion was already apparent at a young age especially that his mom was involved in the industry. “My mother is a fashion lecturer and I was taught to sew at a very young age. But I always wanted to do graphic design or anything creative. I never thought of pursuing Fashion until I took a year off. I only realized how much I love fashion when I visited Paris in 2009,” he furthers.

 When he was doing Project Runway Australia, Anthony was known for his avant garde designs. Yet he says otherwise. “I don’t really see what I do as avant garde but I definitely have my own unique aesthetic. I do like to have an opinion, something different but it still has to be wearable.”

Asked to describe his experience in the show, Anthony has nothing but high praises and lots of stories to share. “Project Runway Australia was amazing. I had such a fabulous time with some beautiful designers. My model Ivana and I have become amazing friends so it was definitely worth it. The most challenging episode was the Vegetable Challenge. Having never worked with vegetables to make an outfit was very stressful as you had no idea how the vegetables would last, how to assemble them and they were just challenging to work with. The judges were very intimidating but as long as you were proud of your work, you would be fine. I respect their opinion because they are all very successful in what they do. When not being judged, they are all very sweet and genuine.”

 He looks up to the works of the late Alexander McQueen, who he describes as “genius.” “I love Galliano for his theatrics but Gareth Pugh, Balenciaga, Yohji and Comme des Garcon are amongst my favorites,” he adds. Anthony mentions that his dream clients are Victoria Beckham, Bjork and Lady Gaga.

 Aside from designing, Anthony is also known for his love for Irish dancing. “I started Irish dancing when I was three years old. My sisters did it because the classes were up the road from our house. I used to tag along. I did it for about 20 years. I was National and New Zealand Champion and 13th in the World.”

 He is also known for wearing skirts in some episodes as well as in real life. “I’m only encouraging men who are confident, comfortable with who they are, and also have great legs to wear man skirts. Man skirts aren’t for everyone but if you have great legs, show them. It’s not about wearing a skirt to make a statement, it’s the fact that men should have more options for their wardrobe. When men wear skirts, they look best when they still look masculine as they aren’t meant to look feminine,” he explains.

Since his victory in the reality show, Anthony has showcased his collection at the Australian Fashion Week last May and has already launched his label called A. Concept.

“I would love to go back to the Philippines one day. I have heard amazing things about it so definitely looking to coming soon.”

His advice to aspiring designers is for them to work really hard, have a point of difference, follow their intuitions and be passionate about what they do.