Two designers have won the grand prize: Frederick Peralta in 1994 and Jojie Lloren in 1998. In 1999, Ariel Alvarez came home with first honors while Dong Omaga-Diaz was given Le Sage Award, a special prize.
"With all these talents, we should make fashion big business here," proposes the very energetic Lulu Tan Gan, president of the Fashion and Design Council of the Philippines (FDCP).
Kudos to the board of judges in the FDCP, who every year, carefully chooses the design entry that would best represent the Philippines in Paris.
Let’s hear it from Ariel Lozada, director of FDCP shows and some of the FDCP judges who, for the past four years, have been working as a team, in the hopes that we can produce more designers, the likes of Josie Natori and Rafe Totengco.
Lulu Tan Gan, FDCP president: We need to have a vision and professionalize the fashion community. We need to build the fashion industry by connecting textile, garment, retailing and designing sectors. We do not connect as much as we should. For instance, when more designers go into customized (made to order) business, they connect less with related industries. When retailers prefer to import clothes, they do not connect with the garment industry, they do not support the local talents. When textile manufacturers prefer to export their products because the local market is too small, they do not connect with the garment manufacturers, who in turn complain there is not much variety in local textiles.
Salvador Bernal, theater and costume designer: Aside from having talent, you need to be good in marketing. It’s all media hype. Hong Kong designers have the money to do this and they become quite known in America. How much goes into marketing and advertising? How did Natori make it? By making her presence felt in America. She knows how to market herself and she has the connections.
Ely Pintor-Mansor, CITEM executive director: My heart bleeds for our talents but sadly, CITEM has a limited budget. Admittedly, fashion is talent and hype. It is a very fickle business and staying on top means being in the right place and being in the news all the time. We need proper and consistent exposure in the market and media. This requires skill and money. The government and the private sector should embark on a program to build a good image for our designers and to continuously support this program. I am glad Cesar Gaupo made it as creative director of Shanghai Tang. Hopefully he will pave the way for others.
Ariel Lozada, fashion show/event director: There are many reasons why we are still dakilang manufacturers. We’re very promising, but the problem is we never fulfill that promise. We cannot wait for government to do something. We have to take things in our own hands. Talent goes hand in hand with a positive attitude. My challenge to all young designers is: Make things happen.
Ed Calma, architect: Fashion brands are backed by organizations that produce, promote, develop and finance whatever the designer creates. The designer is left to do what he does best – to create. Fashion designers in the Philippines end up doing everything so they end up with a small shop. They cannot manage a large operation. On the other hand, retailers who have the potential to support designers would rather rip-off other brands because it is cheaper to do so.
Lizzie Zobel, woman of style: I don’t completely agree that we haven’t made it in the international scene. There are some serious exceptions such as Josie Natori and Rafe Totengco. There should be more names, considering the level of talent in the Philippines. We need an attitude change. Let’s begin by feeling confident, capable and promote Philippine talent and creativity.
Fe Agoncillo-Reyes, executive director, Garments and Textile Export Board: We don’t have any competitive fashion brand in the global scene as we have not yet established a "fashion identity" that is distinctly Filipino. We have not created an apparel which is unique in terms of design, silhouette, color, material and composition, and which meets international standards. Likewise, there is a need for local talents to improve their understanding of global trends and fashion forecasts.
Filipino brands lack the competitive edge because of insufficient capital and partner investments, proper networking and marketing strategies required to launch and promote a Filipino brand and maintain its value and existence in the international market.
Joey Yupangco, architect: Creative talent alone will not get you anywhere. There are other components necessary, such as research, program and planning, technology, marketing, network and most importantly, dedication and drive to be on top. What can we do? We must return to the basics: Implement the infrastructure that would teach the fundamentals of sewing and draping, introduce innovative techniques of fabric weaving and undertake research and historical background.
There should be a guild to guide, sharpen and discipline interested individuals. We must upgrade and develop our local fabrics, as well as reduce tariffs on imported raw materials in order to make the end products more affordable. There should be dialogue: Fashion must be understood, not as a novelty, but as an industry. And stop patronizing what is popular just because it’s good for the cash registers. Stop making kopya and create designs so the Filipino will get the respect they deserve.
Inno Sotto, fashion designer: In this country, we don’t have a real fashion week so buyers can come and watch collections during their buying season. We have to promote design as a strength of this industry for them to come over. At this point, it would be best if the apparel industry had its own Movement 8 – to show and sell design abroad.
Michael Salientes, stylist: Vision, guts and identity – we lack all three. We seem to be short-sighted in so many levels and usually confine ourselves to instinct, feeling and whim rather than envisioning the big picture with real content, clear goals and a focused working process. Another setback is not believing and sticking to our own identity. Having the integrity to always stand up and say "this is who I am" and not let the rest of the world define you. Lastly, I think Filipinos who are generally creative, are scared to fully explore their creativity. The research is poor and weak, their references are always literal translations or blatant copies. It is rare for someone to think fresh and original, to go out on a limb. We have to stop waiting to be discovered, waiting to be praised. We have to go out there into the world and make it happen.