Jojie Lloren: The next Prince of Fashion

Charles Darwin said it’s only natural for us to exaggerate what nature has given to us. All throughout history, women – and in some cases men – have risked their physical and mental health in order to achieve that look du jour. Alexander Black, a writer in the 1920s, an era where the barbaric constraints of fashion were disposed of, said: "A man doesn’t feel dressed until he is throttled by a collar. A woman doesn’t feel fashionable unless something hurts. It is at this excess point wherein fashion-consciousness begins". Fortunately, in this century, less ribs have been crushed by iron-grated corsets and less complexions have been burned by toxic cosmetics. Yet it’s evident there’s still a ball-and-chain relationship between society and fashion.

From the ubiquitous topsiders of the ’80s to the ankle-crushing clogs of the early ’90s, to the gravity-defying stilettos of the millennium – we all can’t help but be Stepford fashion victims. However, thanks to the Indie revolution, which brought us to the world of unconventional movies, music, design and art, we are introduced to a world where imagination precedes commerce and marketing. As a result, the business of fashion is elevated to the art of fashion. Though progressive countries have already embraced this new medium of art as wearable masterpieces, it is only recently that our own fashion industry has garnered the unanimous respect whose aesthetic appeal is born out of intellectual appreciation and not from media hype.

Today, we are so fortunate to be at the presence of a design genius that understands the synergy between fashion and the true essence of aesthetics. He is Jojie Lloren. Jojie caught the eye of every aesthete when he first joined Fashion Watch a few years back, following the advice of his good friend Inno Sotto. The soft-spoken and unassuming Jojie was then caught in a whirlwind of successes that include winning the grand prize in the prestigious Concours Internationale competition in Paris in 1998. His entry was an asymmetric abaca strapless gown with beaded skirt draped from the waist. This triumph gave him the chance to study and apprentice in Paris. Paris was not all glitz and glamour for Jojie as he had to hone his craft under the most trying of circumstances. "It opened my eyes and changed my perspective of my surroundings," he notes. Deeply attached to his home, Jojie came back to Manila, much to the delight of his devotees, and became the head designer for Tyler, which has been the place where my paycheck goes every month. But of course, Jojie’s true passions run in his couture line, which reflects his creativity in veritable form. Jojie has always loved the design world even as a child. Frightened that he would disappoint his parents, Jojie took up Hotel and Restaurant Administration at UP. However, suppression always has an expiration point for true geniuses. Jojie followed his heart and took up Clothing Technology. Thereafter, under the aegis of Christian Espiritu and the guidance of Inno Sotto, Jojie discovered not only the skin and bones of fashion, but its soul as well.

It is said that true beauty is intangible but this balloon of romantic theory was deflated last Friday at Jojie’s show at the NBC Tent. His much-awaited 30-piece show was the finale to the first Not Enough Circuses production spearheaded by Michael Salientes, former Details fashion editor, and Ariel Lozada, top director and innovator in our country’s progressive fashion scene. Along with their like-minded creative team, they put together FAD (Fashion Art and Design). The event consisted of three nights of shows at the NBC Tent on the first three days of May. The show presented the works of six of the country’s budding talents namely Paolo Raymundo, Arcy Gayatin, Mimi Sanson, Patrice Ramos-Diaz, Dennis Lustico and Jojie Lloren. This event was the first time these talents had a major show of their own.

"I wanted to pass out. I was so afraid that it would not be successful to a point wherein I wanted to stop the show, " says Jojie in his trademark gentle whisper of a voice.

I would have passed out if he did decide to stop the show.

Architectural, simple in line but intricate in workmanship and detail is how Jojie describes his collection. It is an elegant buffet of glamorous theatrical clothes that exhibits Jojie’s mastery of construction, his infatuation with detail and most of all, his passion for the female hourglass form.

Jojie actually drew inspiration for his collection from an exhibit in New York, which showcased the history of the varying beauty standards from different cultures which, of course, included the barbaric tools in achieving the archetypal female form. It is very evident in his designs – from the elongated necklines, inspired by the women in Burma, to the interplay of tiny tops and puffy bottoms of his dresses and the almost impressionist flow of light and color in his clothes – that the past plays a huge role in his collection. The glorious thing, however, was the absence of physical distress in his garments. All these effects were achieved through optical illusion. The use of seams to direct the eye to a certain point, the use of lines to elongate and narrow, the interplay of colors to emphasize and de-emphasize certain areas of the body. His employment of contrasting widths such as cinched waists and puffy bottoms is both familiar and unexpected. The headwraps that cloak the face in chiffon are a tasteful reminder of the days of Gloria Swanson and the silent movies stats. There are also the severely linear suits which are undoubtedly inspired by the post-war movie mavens such as Joan Crawford and Katharine Hepburn. There is nothing cutesy or sweet about his collection. These women swill martini glasses, they don’t suck lollipops.

The emotions of approbation ran amuck in the Tent, and regardless of whether the audience was familiar or unfamiliar with his work, all were breath-taken by his collection. This is the truest affirmation that an artist can ever achieve. It goes beyond the intellectual bearings of his audience, and penetrates their raw and unsullied emotions, inciting feelings of exhilaration and a sort of high that comes from seeing something so heavenly. True beauty has that effect on all humans.

My friend, who had no clue about fashion, was just so speechless, he was so taken by the beauty of the clothing and the setting, which made this event not just another fashion show but an indelible moment that will forever be etched in our hearts. It’s like watching a good movie or reading the last lines of an incredible book. You can’t help but articulate the raw emotions with which a work of brilliance has been framed in one’s heart and soul. In such a pintasero society, this was one time where no one could even coddle up anything negative to say. It was all praises and it all flowed as easily and generously as water in a gushing stream.

There is no singular player in a moment such as this. This was a labor of love of six designers and two visionaries. Ariel Lozada and Michael Salientes played ringmasters to this fashion circus which exceeded the expectations of guests. The Metro Magazine-sponsored fete proved to be a breakthrough moment for fashion. The unconventional setting that was at once vast and impressive but incongruously intimate, set the tone for showcasing the collections of six of the most promising young talents in the country. It was a meeting of brilliant minds that produced such a wraithlike affair that would forever change the way we will experience fashion.

At the end of the show, Jojie doesn’t pop a magnum of Dom nor does he yak on and on about what inspires him and yadi-yadi-yah. He shyly thanks those who came and quietly shuffles backstage. There, I imagine Jojie amid the hoopla of naked models, jubilant assistants and his close friends... Jojie is again thinking of his next collection. Another way to melt our hearts and possess us all over again.