MANILA, Philippines - As one of the most visible and active members of Manila’s street scene and easily one of Ronac Art Center’s most recognizable tenants, Borgy Manotoc has taken his love for fashion and his experience as a model into an active venture that reverberates along with all the other wonderful chords of the industry.
After spending his early 20s “sort of trying everything out” and traveling the world, he claims that he is no longer “wavering in different directions” and claims to be in the right state of mind to pursue the things he wants to get done.
A few years ago, these things could have easily been assumed to be somewhat involved with his career in showbiz. In present time, however, Borgy seems to have made the show part take a back seat and is focusing more on his business.
While not an artist in the strictest sense of the word, Borgy has used his genuine intrigue for the mechanisms and processes of fashion and design to his business advantage. With Bunker, his sneaker and apparel boutique at the Ronac Art Center on Ortigas Avenue, he has created an avenue that highlights the best of what’s happening abroad and makes these available for Philippine consumption.
Borgy hopes that with Bunker, the world will recognize the Filipino taste palette and be aware of it as a market with relevant consumer power. In his noble quest to do this, he ensures that he only picks brands with interesting stories. Of course, in the world of street, there is nothing worse than a label whose only concern is to earn a buck.
Seeing what Bunker has to offer in its portfolio, one would think that the store is the quintessence of what the young Manotoc represents at this point in his life — a coherent mish-mash.
On one hand, Borgy symbolizes the glamour of young Philippine society: gorgeous, fashionable, moneyed. On the other, the way he describes how he does his business can be compared to how the local taho vendor does his: crude, but always optimistic.
Admitting to having good business sense but not having the chops to understand all the business concepts that need to be applied in the store, Borgy is keen on explaining that although the learning curve has been steep, the business has ceased being just a passion project but a real responsibility that he has to do right.
“We’re starting to get exposure globally. And I don’t want to represent the Philippines crappily,” he says.
Bunker will be bringing in a new footwear brand that’s been gone and missed for a while, a line of sunglasses called Super RetroFuture from Italy, and will also be diversifying into the production of its own material.
Asked about why he chose to set up shop at Ronac, Borgy has this to say:
“The building as a whole is a stand-alone fixture for our industry. Something we’ve never had before. Ronac really exemplifies the spirit of not compromising on certain things.”
As children, we were conditioned by our parents and teachers’ encouragement to believe that the little crayon doodles we did were masterpieces. As we grow older, however, we come to terms with the gripping reality that the only thing our artworks are good for is wiping after one is done with the toilet.
We become self-conscious. We stop inventing. We stop being children.
The difference with Ronac’s tenants, and illustrated by Borgy, is that these people never stopped being children in the sense that they have never stopped being creative.
Ronac allows one to revel in the fact there are options apart from those being offered in the mainstream channels. In Ronac, there is a world composed of apparel made by straight young men, exclusive sneakers brought in from secret sources, and lighters that discourage one from smoking.
The grand opening of Ronac Art Center today brings about a revival of the appreciation for great talent and great taste in street culture. It is about cementing the industry’s niche in the chaos of Manila, showing the world that it is here and it’s not just a trend, not a seasonal thing.
Artists and art enthusiasts alike form a composite of Ronac’s string of store owners, and they will be selling merchandise and apparel hand-crafted or hand-picked by themselves.
Starting 2 p.m., everyone will be treated to exclusive holiday sales, new product launches from the different stores, and fine music care of Terno Records, who will be bringing in a mystery band to play. Other highlights include hip-hop DJs from B-Side and “lots and lots of barbecue and burgers.”