He who keeps on trying succeeds

Designer watch: Jerome Lorico

MANILA, Philippines –  If on the first try you don’t succeed, try and try again.

Take the case of fashion designer Jerome Lorico. He brought honor to the country when he won last month the grand prize at the 48th Japan Fashion Design Contest at the Meguro Gajoen Hotel in Tokyo.

A Literature and Language major from Bicol University, Lorico said he decided to pursue fashion because he was interested in it. “I started designing late 2007 after I graduated from college. I pursued design because it has been my interest ever since to build a career in fashion design,” said Lorico, a member of the Young Designers Guild of the Philippines (YDG).

To hone his skills, he joined many designing contests such as the Philippine Fashion Design Competition, the Animax Fashionabilty Competition spearheaded by Animax and AXN Singapore. When he joined the Japan Fashion Design Contest on his first try, he bagged the Jury Prize award. He also dabbled in the visual arts so he joined the 2010 Swatch Art Competition. Lorico bagged the grand prize in this competition.

A model wearing Jerome Lorico’s award-winning ‘Ink and Water’ design at the 48th Japan Fashion Design Contest held last month at the Meguro Gajoen Hotel in Tokyo.

While he has made a number of clothes for female clients, Lorico’s forte is menswear. He said, “People would say it is easy to make menswear since male clients are actually not that complicated. But I say it is harder at times to make things simpler. I definitely love designing for men, but designing for women is another kind of challenge.”

Famous people have also worn his creations. He singled out TV host and actor Ryan Agoncillo as his favorite client. “He is really easy to work with. At the same time, he is the type of client who knows what he wants. I think that is very important. You can insist a style or a design to someone and make him look good. But it doesn’t stop there. He should feel good on what he is wearing. So the element of knowing what you really want and not just what the designer or other people want is really important,” Lorico said.

 He mentioned the late Alexander McQueen, Belgian designer and one of the Antwerp 6 Anne Demeulemeester, Tom Ford, Hussein Chalayan and Filipino designers Jojie Lloren, Cary Santiago, Ivarluski Aseron and Inno Sotto as his favorite designers.

Lorico added, “I don’t really aspire to dress up someone now. I think dressing up is a kind of an identity. So I would not insist my identity to anyone.”

Having joined the Japan Fashion Design Contest thrice, Lorico is savoring the victory. “The first time I joined it, I was able to make it to the finals and went to Japan where I took the Jury Prize award. Unfortunately, I wasn’t lucky the second time. I tried again for the third time and fortunately, I grabbed two major corporate awards plus the grand prize.”

Lorico said he is very happy that Filipino designers are now getting recognition outside the country. “Talent is a universal language. Therefore we can be at par with other international talents. I believe that we are just in a small niche hidden in this side of the Pacific. It is crucial for our local talents to explore new horizons and to think bigger. There is a place waiting for us there. It is not certain but at least we know that the possibilities are there. We just have to be perceptive of what is happening in the global arena and start working on what we think will be a contribution to that scene,” he said.

 As for those who aspire to become designers, Lorico said: “Designing should both be a talent and a vision. Anything that is stagnant will soon evaporate. Work on what you have right now.”