Patis Tesoro: Mother of Bohemian Filipiniana

Patis Tesoro is a lady of many talents and avocations. The word “multi-faceted” does not even begin to describe her. But then she — who nonchalantly admits she is a bohemian, an artist and a costurera — was never anyone’s ordinary kind of gal. Those who have met  her swear she is several characters in one, finely packaged into a petite dynamo who is on the cutting edge of fashion and much more, yet successfully manages to remain a staunch champion of the traditional.

Widely known for her exuberant, flashy and exotic creations, this globetrotter, who travels in a style she calla “Bohemian Filipiniana” — loose, comfortable trousers with a simple yet stylish top — is in her element living it up at Mardi Gras or happily weaving through the din and dust of flea markets and soaking in the riot of colors in souks, as much she is at home in a tent in Mongolia or meditating in her lush garden in San Juan or listening to birdcalls in her mountain retreat in San Pablo.

What fires the energies of this woman who early in her career was deemed ahead of her time and who now blends all the seemingly disparate facets of her life into one fascinating tapestry? It is not only in the realm of couture that Patis continues to leave her singular stamp. She is — in no particular order — also a cultural maven, entrepreneur, book publisher, restaurateur, plant and animal lover, fashion designer, doll-maker, world traveler and bon vivant.

Though born to affluent parents, she was to the manner born, and married lawyer Tito Tesoro, whose family is well known until today as the purveyor of exquisite Filipino handicrafts, she is never idle. She has always loved to work with her hands — sketching, drawing, sewing or embroidering.

With fine needles and threads in every imaginable hue, she relates that she has been making clothes even as a young girl. “My mother is my strongest influence. I would watch fascinated by the lovely dresses she made for her customers. But at the end of the day, I just want to design fabrics!”

What remains for Patis then? Is retirement even an option? She smiles as she shares with us her dreams to one day work in a studio similar to Henri Matisse’s or paint a mural à la Michelangelo. Big dreams? Not really, says this artist who draws from pencil patterns and shapes she sees in her reveries, from memory that is colored by everything she observes. 

Finally, she muses: “I wish to have a stint with someone I can still learn from. Or maybe have the opportunity to collaborate with the House of Valentino.”

PHILIPPINE STAR: What do you remember most about your first trip abroad?

PATIS TESORO: When I was 17 — sounds like the song — I left for the US to attend classes at Marygrove College in Detroit, Michigan. My mother together with Fr. Tanseco accompanied me as it was an all-girls’ Catholic school. Whenever the American girls would greet me with a “How are you?” I would stop and reply to start a conversation — or better yet begin a very brief soliloquy hoping for a full-fledged two-way conversation. They would stare at me with a strange look, to say the least. I only realized much later that it was simply a greeting much like “hello.” It was the first of the many cultural shocks I was to experience.

What won’t you leave home without?

I won’t leave home without my forever-present art bag full of handmade paper, my pencils and my pens ready to sketch, to draw, to capture the moment. I likewise bring along a book or two to read for the duration of the entire journey.

How do you pass the time at airports?

While waiting for my flights at airports, I keep myself busy by drawing and sketching.

Who is your ideal traveling companion?

My husband Tito, who takes care of the “business side” of travel down to its minutest details from the reservations and bookings of flights, airport transfers, hotel accommodations and the like. We share jobs, though. I handle what to see, what to do, where to eat, what to discover and what to experience.

What is the first thing you do upon checking in at a hotel or at a resort?

Upon checking into a hotel room, I completely unpack, arrange all my things — clothes, bags, shoes, accessories, documents, art gear and other paraphernalia — in its proper designated places, including the toiletries in the bathroom. By being so organized, only then do I feel at home even in a faraway, strange hotel room.

What would you consider a must-do activity in every foreign city that you visit?

Visit museums, especially the ones that feature paintings, sculptures and textiles and everything that goes with it. Must join walking tours, mostly in Europe. Discover local and organic markets. Experience Sunday antique shops and fairs. Get lost in gardens of all kinds. Try to savor whatever is offered of the local cuisine.

Describe your most memorable trip.

I have been lucky to have had several memorable trips, However, our visit to Mongolia was a different experience altogether for Tito and me as well as Evelyn Lim Forbes, Bobby Cuenca, to name but a few. We stayed for a week in the Jamadan Meadows, which is approximately four hours by road out of the capital city of Ulaan Bator. All we had were meadows upon meadows and rivers and more rivers in endless — absolutely endless — horizon. And at night — always a clear night upon clear night — you could almost touch the stars!

What do you miss most when you’re away from home?

My home, my gardens and my dogs. Not necessarily in that order. (Laughs)

What is the best travel advice you were given?

“Travel when you can, because when you can’t, you can’t.” (Smiles)

What is the strangest thing you have done on a trip?

Maintaining a fire in an antique iron stove in the center of a ger, a typical dwelling of the area, in the middle of a peaceful meadow under clear skies somewhere in Mongolia.

Let’s talk favorites now. Name your favorite city abroad.

My old favorite was Calicut also known as Kozhikode, a city on the Malabar Coast. During classical antiquity and the Middle Ages, it was dubbed a “City of Spices.” It was recently declared a “City of Sculptures” due to several architectural masterpieces in prominent sections of the city. Today, my choice is Cochi, better known as Cochin, a major port found in the West Coast by the Arabian Sea in the state of Kerala, India. It has been heralded as the “Queen of the Arabian Sea.”

Name your favorite spot in the Philippines.

My favorite spot in the Philippines — and no place comes in as a close second — is Patis Tito Garden Café in Barangay Santa Cruz (Putol) in San Pablo City on the foothills of the mystical Mt. Banahaw.

Favorite airport?

Changi International Airport in Singapore. Whichever terminal I land in or depart from, it certainly does not remind me of an airport at all, for it is more than just a walk in the park, with the flowers and the gardens, the pools and the ponds, the stalls and the shops, the bars and the restos, the hotel and the spa, the chapel and the prayer room and the list goes on and on.

Favorite museum?

When in Stockholm, I must visit the Vasa Museum, the Skansen Open-air Museum and, of course, Moderna Museet. The Vasa is something of a Scandinavian Titanic as this warship also sank on its maiden voyage. It was salvaged 333 years later in 1961.

The Skansen, one of the oldest open-air museums in the world is the place to visit to experience historic Sweden in miniature. It always reminds me of our sorely missed Nayong Pilipino. It fascinates me no end because here I get to enjoy traditional crafts, a tinsmith’s workshop, the Skogaholm manor house and the beautiful 18th-century Seglora wooden church. You can likewise see all of the animals common all over Scandinavia such as moose, bears, lynxes, wolves, wolverines and seals.

Then, I can’t leave without stopping by the Moderna Museet to browse in what is reputedly one of Europe’s foremost collections of art from the 20th century to today. There are works by artists including Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Siri Derkert and Henri Matisse.

Favorite hotel?

The Connaught Hotel in a quiet corner at the center of chic Mayfair. There is no better place to savor the very British, Old World charm of this London jewel. Here I get to relax in understated elegance and luxuriate in the almost seamless blend of a very genteel English enclave.

Favorite resort?

Amarela Boutique Hotel in Panglao. Its architecture and design allows guests to savor Bohol’s natural and cultural charms. Serenely perched on top of a gentle slope, it offers a breathtaking view of the Bohol Sea. A leisurely walk — that cuts through lush gardens — leads down to a private beach with pristine white sand. Although far removed from the city, it nevertheless has modern amenities to make one’s stay truly unforgettable.

Favorite park?

The Luxembourg Gardens in the heart of the 6th arrondissement of Paris. It is definitely one of the most beautiful parks in the world. Its unusual layout is the ideal setting for elegant, traditional French and chaotic-but-orderly English-style gardens that sprawl over 25 hectares of land.

Favorite musical or play?

Nothing beats watching a William Shakespeare comedy — I have no particular favorite — in one of the cozy little theaters in the charming town of Stratford-Upon-Avon, the Bard’s birthplace. The experience is almost surreal.

Favorite store?

My favorite row of specialty and craft shops in the lovely town of Carmel-by-the-Sea in California may have undergone some remarkable changes or may even perhaps be completely gone by now, for I frequented the place during the mid ‘70s to the ‘80s. But still, just thinking about the stores and what it offered truly warms my heart.

Favorite restaurant?

Jaspers Bun in the Oven in Kew Gardens in Surrey, South England. It is one of the best-known and well-regarded French restaurants in this area. I drop by to get my fill of my all-time favorite cuisine. No trip to London would be complete  without a meal at this resto.

Name an event anywhere in the world you would like to participate in?

The Fringe at the Edinburgh International Festival of the Performing Arts, which is held every year in August. Here, my creative energy is pumped up by the uninhibited and freewheeling series of performances staged by musicians, poets, dancers, visual artists and even independent opera companies seeking to find an outlet for their productions. The Fringe organizers, guided by a tradition that dates back to 1947, make it a policy to include in their annual program basically anyone with a story to share.

What is the worst souvenir you have ever bought back from a trip?

A gargoyle from the French Quarter of New Orleans, home of the Mardi Gras celebration. Vampire lore is popular and a visit to the Boutique du Vampyre is a natural stopover. Among the many items available there as souvenirs are stained glass bats, gothic jewelry, strange hats, capes and costumes. Guess what I brought home — a gargoyle! (Laughs) 

Aside from unpacking your suitcase, what is the first thing you would do upon returning home?

At our last destination, just before we finally return to Manila, I make a quick call home and request our cook to prepare our food of choice upon arrival. So no matter what time of day or night — by then you’ve lost me in time — the very first thing I do is to have a Filipino meal which usually includes any of the following: nilagang baka, pochero or tinolang manok.

Name a city you have never visited but would like to someday.

Marrakesh in Morocco. This is my kind of place. I’ve seen many documentaries about it and would just love to set foot in this fabled Moorish city that has come to be the center of North Africa’s style and night life. It would be wonderful to get lost in its labyrinthine old lanes to find the souks and bazaars, revel in the sights and sounds, and the absolutely dizzying range of merchandise.

Name a country you still wish to explore.

Brazil, specifically the Amazon Rainforest. Flora and fauna hold an endless fascination for me, so that anything that has to do with the cultivation of plants, shrubs, trees and even vines naturally grabs my attention. I would like to explore what has confounded not only eminent scientists, but even the most intrepid of adventurers. A veritable mine for the diversity it holds: imagine more than a third of all kinds of species in the world (exist there). The Amazon is also the natural habitat to over 2,000 different birds and mammals, tens of thousands of varieties of plants and some two million not commonly known insects. Staggering, isn’t it?

What would you say is the best part of travel?

Engaging in unique activities that can only be experienced in a specific place such as a cruise on the River Nile in Egypt or a stay in a houseboat on some canals in Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

What would you say then is the worst part of travel?

Succumbing to freak accidents beyond one’s control or carelessness and perhaps getting ill due to Montezuma’s Revenge in Mexico or “Delhi Belly” in India.

If you could reside anywhere in the world aside from the Philippines, where would it be?

England’s West Country, definitely! This is the area where the historic, laid-back and charming counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset are found, nestled in mostly rural, agricultural terrain that appeals to my idea of what a serene life should be all about. In contrast to the wild, exotic and bohemian vibe of Marrakesh, the West Country offers moors, limestone downlands and clay valleys. Just the place for contemplation and meditation.