Rhett Eala: A Playful Wink at Fashion

Young designer Rhett Eala may have lost sight in one eye after a tragic car accident three years ago, but he retains not only his sense of humor but also a keen eye for fashion.

Meeting him at his family’s Makati home, you would never guess Eala was once bedridden and wheelchair-bound for a year. He fills the air with the nervous energy of a true workaholic, having just arrived (literally a half hour earlier) from Hong Kong, where he’s supervising production on some of the clothes for his new, independent label Wink. Ninety percent of the work is done for the upcoming fashion show to launch the collection, he notes with satisfaction.

The designer, who inherited his artistic streak from his journalist grandfather, the late Teodoro Valencia, and mother, painter Baby Valencia-Eala, says he changed a lot after the accident. "I’ve slowed down, but how I look at life now is so different. Before, I was a very insecure person, I was competitive. But after that, you realize those things don’t matter."

Eala’s talent first emerged as an in-house designer for Rustan’s. After years spent as a student of the world–high school in Hong Kong, studying textile design in Florence, and two years living in New York, working as a buyer for Barneys–Eala dreamt of one day becoming a designer. He got his big break at home when, in 1990, Rustan’s offered him a chance to design for his own label, Due by Rhett Eala. He brought his internationalist perspective to Due, designing for teens in the beginning. The line quickly caught on with a youthful market, who loved the young and modern look of his clothes. Not only were his designs clean and unfussy, they were more affordable than imported brands (with many separates retailing for under P1,000) and generously sized to flatter both young and old, slim and large.

Over the 11 years Eala worked for Rustan’s, Due evolved from a teen label to a sophisticated line for women of all ages, from 16 to 60-plus.

"When I design, I don’t think, ‘I’m designing for older women,’" he says. "Now there are a lot of barriers that are broken down already. Just because you’re 60 doesn’t mean you have to wear an ugly dress. It can also be chic."

Now 37, Eala has grown up and grown apart from Rustan’s. He recently left the company and is launching his own label and boutique, Wink, with friend and partner Cindy Yang, daughter-in-law of McDonald’s magnate George Yang. With the same determination that got him on his feet a month after surgery for the accident, Eala is staging a fashion show called "Scenes in Transit" on October 25 at the RCBC Plaza in Makati. The Wink duo also plan to open their first boutique in Glorietta at the beginning of November; a second will open in Rockwell early December. If the clothes offer Eala’s trademarks, simple elegance and fashion wit, the kind that also informs the clothes of one of his idols, Marc Jacobs, it should be something to see.

Below, he talks about his hotly anticipated fashion show, why he left Rustan’s, and what we can expect from his eponymous new label, Wink.

PHILIPPINE STAR: When you design, do you have a certain muse in mind?

Not really. Maybe a type of woman, but not one person. Somebody who’s kind of adventurous without being trashy, somebody not so young, who’s reserved but also knows how to be sensual. A paradox.

Who are your favorite designers?

Yohji [Yamamoto], Marc Jacobs I also like, Prada. Locally, I like Inno Sotto and Cesar Gaupo.

What inspires you?

People always ask me if I’m inspired by a certain period or a certain city. I’m inspired by all of those things, but I think this time it’s a lot about my emotions, how I feel right now, and usually that’s enough for me to be inspired by.

How do you approach fashion?

It’s not the most important thing in the world, but a dress can make you change your mood. So if you put on a nice dress, it can make you happy. But I don’t think fashion should rule your life, and I don’t think you should follow every single trend. You should only follow trends that suit you.

Your mom, Baby Valencia-Eala, still paints, doesn’t she?

Yeah, she just had an exhibit last month. [Points to paintings of flowers and abstracts that liberally dot the condominium.] She gets tamad na. She’s older, so she likes doing smaller canvases. She used to do canvases this big [points to a huge wooden panel on living room wall].

What are your memories of your lolo, Doroy Valencia, growing up?

I have fond memories of him. He loved his grandchildren, he spoiled all of us. He was really the patriarch of our family. Whatever he said was the final word. When he went, it was a big loss to us.

Did your family, being so artistic, have anything to do with your becoming a fashion designer?

I think maybe because my mom encouraged us to pursue the arts. I wasn’t a very good student. My attention span was too short.

What was your first fashion job?

My first fashion job was ironing clothes in the back room of some unknown designer. [laughs]

What’s more important: style or comfort?

Comfort.

Why did you decide to leave Rustan’s?

After 11 years, it was just the same–I went up the ladder, then went back down again. Parang it was becoming a cycle, and I was back to where I was. Then I realized, maybe it’s time to leave. I didn’t want to be stuck.

How can a business manager best cultivate the artistry of a designer?

I think they should be working hand in hand with the designer, but a lot of the decisions made, I was not informed, or I was informed after the fact. And I was thinking, Well, my name’s on the label, it’s not their name on the label, so it’s my reputation, not theirs.

After you left, did any other fashion companies court you?

A week after I left, I was talking to my friend, Cindy Yang. Her family’s into jewelry, but she said, "I’ve always wanted to get into this sort of business. Why don’t we hook up and put something up together?"

What are the differences between being an in-house and an independent designer?

Now I’m an independent designer, I get to make a lot of the decisions. I have final say in almost everything, which is great. But it’s much more work. I thought like, Wow, when I get out maybe I might have less work, but now it’s 20 times more work. [laughs]

What do you have planned for the upcoming fashion show?

The show is called "Scenes in Transit." It’s composed of six different themes: the first portion is going to be all white, symbolizing a fresh start. So, very romantic blouses, jeans and dresses in cotton. My second is a linen collection which has sort of an oriental theme. The third portion is black, it’s lace and leather, so it’s a very fetish kind of thing. The fourth theme is a colorful theme. We’re doing Thai silk in everyday shapes. My biggest theme is a black-and-white theme, using tulle and silk, and you’ll see there’s a dance inspiration to that, like a ballerina, or a modern dance theme. My last portion is evening gowns–long, column evening gowns– which I’m known for.

What’s the price range at Wink?

My prices will start from P795, which will be like a knit top, up to P14,000 for an evening gown.

Are you including larger sizes for older or larger women?

Yes, we still have larger sizes. We’re carrying up to [size] 16.

Who are the best-dressed women in Manila?

Kathy de Guzman, Apples Aberin, Tweety Gonzales.

Who are the best-dressed men?

Raul Manzano.

Would you ever do menswear?

I do some now. See, I’m very uncomfortable about doing suits because I don’t know much about it. I can do shirts. Menswear is definitely an option.

Do you ever make a conscious effort to make your clothes "Filipino"?

Not really. I kind of want to touch on the Asian thing, but I don’t want it to look European. Say, it’s fall now–I’m not going to use fall colors. I’m still going to use light colors. But if you look at my clothes, my clothes are not overly designed. They’re very simple, actually. You just put a little detail, and bring out the fabric and the quality. I take extra effort in making the clothes feel comfortable. I don’t want you to be wearing just a fashion statement.