The beginnings of local ready-to-wear

In the early 1970s, ready-to-wear fash-ion was limited to a few boutiques that carried a small assortment of clothes. The imported clothes were rather pricey, and while some homegrown stores were beginning to carry ready-made lines, the stocks were rather limited. During this time, people would have their clothes custom-made by the neighborhood modista (dressmaker) or the upcoming young designers. Manila’s society women would go to the couturiers, who were known for their elegant gowns and clothes.

I met SM’s Tessie Sy-Coson during one of my early fashion shows in 1971. She saw my collection and liked it. After the show she approached me and asked me to design for the new boutique that they were opening in her father Henry Sy, Sr.’s Manila Royal Hotel.

The lower floors of the Manila Royal Hotel would have a department store with a boutique section that would sell ready-to-wear clothes. “But I don’t know anything about business and marketing,” I told her. “I will take care of that,” she assured me, “just take care of the creative and design aspects.”

With that, I did not hesitate, and that was the beginning of a long and fruitful partnership with SM.

Personally, I thought ready-to-wear fashion would never take off, but I was wrong. SM changed all that. Working closely with Tessie, I, alongside with a few other designers, developed fashionable lines and hung them in the Royal Hotel boutique. The clothes were an instant success, and flew off the rack, so to speak. And we were just starting.

When SM Makati opened in 1975, we created more fashionable ready-to-wear clothes. The late Caloy Badidoy was just starting out then, Joey Muli did menswear, and Edmund Espinosa did our windows. I remember how creative Edmund’s windows were then, considering that mannequins were not as flexible as they are now. But he wired them and posed them in breathtaking poses. The windows were fabulous and much talked about.

Being young and daring, we thought of ways to bring ready-to-wear fashion forward. What was important is that we always had something new and that we would be the first to promote the trend in a big way. Tessie conceptualized promotions like the Khaki Kraze, which brought in khaki as a trend, and Sexy Grey, which made draped jersey very, as they would say during that time, “in.” I think it was the first time that Manila saw a whole collection of trendy, affordable clothes off the rack and fashionable women wore them on the streets.

Aside from designing, I was also asked by Tessie to develop lines for home items and accessories and help in the “buying” of merchandise, which I thought was tasteful, fashionable and affordable. I also did other things like doing sketches for the ads, and I even recall designing the label of the Bazaar line of T-shirts that were so popular.

Later on, I became a fulltime designer but still had close ties with SM as one of the designers of the Boutique Square. It was an exciting time to be there with Filipino designers like Jeannie Goulbourn, Caloy Badidoy, Lulu Tan-Gan, who started out as a merchandiser and became the country’s knit queen. For a time, Azabache and Santiago de Manila were there. In the ‘80s came a wave of new designers like Efren Ocampo, Mike de la Rosa, Bobby Novenario and Tonichi Nocom.

I can say that SM has revolutionized the way Filipinos dress. It has helped the average Filipino become fashionable by bringing trends from abroad and making these very affordable through its ready-to-wear lines. It has also helped promote the Filipino designer, and later fashion labels through its stores.

Since the time I left SM, I have had my own line, and had the chance to work as full-time creative director of Shanghai Tang’s Hong Kong boutique. An internationally renowned fashion house said to be the only Chinese luxury brand, Shanghai Tang has a global network of boutiques in the US, Europe and Asia.

Today, I continue to be a consultant for Shanghai Tang, but only on a part-time basis. I am also designing and producing high-end fashionable shoes under my own label.

Looking back, I would like to think that it was my years of experience and training in SM that prepared me for all this.

I am thankful to the Sys because they treated me as part of their family. What I like about them — aside from accepting me for what I am — is that they are all very kind, very humble, and so low-key. The family, from Tatang (Henry Sy, Sr.) to Nanang (Mrs. Felicidad Sy) and their children, are very good with people. And this is probably why they have become very successful.

My ties with SM continue today with my line at SM Makati. When I designed furniture for CITEM two years ago, we had an exhibit at the SM Mall of Asia. My friendship with Tessie has continued over the years, and I still make some of her formal dresses. I like to think that I am still her favorite designer; and she, of course, is my favorite client.