How Mark Lewis Higgins was taught by his mom Slim how to pack a suitcase

Mark Lewis Higgins has it all figured out. He proclaims that he is an artist, first and foremost, who also happens to be a co-director of the Slim’s Fashion and Arts School.

Founded by his mother, the late Philippine couturier Salvacion Lim Higgins, or Slim as she was known, and his aunt, Purification, over 50 years ago, the academic institution has produced the likes of Joe Salazar, Oskar Peralta, Oliver Tolentino, and Michael Cinco—all successful designers.

Today, through the direction and management of her children, the legacy of Slim continues to be shared with over 300 students currently enrolled in Fashion Design, Patternmaking, or Dressmaking courses.

But Mark, who studied Fine Art in Canada and Fashion Design in America, underlines the importance of art in his life. Whenever he creates, with concepts in constant development, the artist stresses that he must devote himself fully to the entire process. So he spirits himself to some far away location, alone with no distraction, to give birth to his signature images of faces infused with color, magic and life.

A painter greatly moved by Eastern and Western history, culture, and religion, he exhibits in New York, Hong Kong, and Manila, where the artist explores the themes of origin as he did in “Tribes,” where he combined the “primitiveness of the tribal world with the richness of Byzantine icons,” or “Diaspora,” where collage works were informed by his love of archaeology.

What do you remember most of your first trip abroad?

Mark Lewis Higgins: My very first trip to Europe happened when I was 11 years old. It was the first long-haul flight I had ever been on, where, when you stepped off the plane, English was not the spoken language. I remember being so completely enamored of the idea of traveling to a foreign land where everything about it, the culture, the customs, the surroundings, including what they spoke, was unfamiliar. That seems to have left a deep impression and has become a benchmark for me now. If I travel a great distance, I like the idea of not hearing English spoken when I step off the plane, but some foreign tongue that reminds me I am no longer in a familiar place, hopefully about to embark on some kind of exciting, exotic adventure. Oftentimes, the more exotic and unfamiliar it is, the better.

What won’t you leave home without?

A book to read. And I do mean a real book, not a Kindle. And it’s usually a good-sized hardcover edition either on ancient history or the biography of a historical figure that I find fascinating.

How do you pass time at airports?

I always pass the time reading. I never watch movies or listen to music, even on the plane. It also makes a lot of time pass constructively.

Who is your ideal traveling companion?

That would have been my mom. We always had very similar interests and tastes, everything from destinations to sightseeing to shopping, and we got along really well. I would have loved for her to have been with me in some of the places I discovered later in my life. Plus she paid for everything!

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

Unpack and tidy up my things. That just-arrived mess in a room bothers me. Psychologically, it also settles me in. Plus, I hate crumpled clothing.

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

I always try and buy one beautiful antique or ethnic object for my home. Nothing contemporary. Alternatively, some exotic textile or costume, which I collect. Or in the very least, an interesting coffee table book for my library. In some cases, all of the above.

Describe your most memorable trip.

One memorable trip would be my first visit to the Forbidden City in Beijing, which I had often dreamed about seeing. Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor was one of my favorite films, and I had read a lot of material on that subject, including Pu Yi’s autobiography From Emperor to Citizen as well as the book written by his teacher Reginald Johnston titled Twilight in the Forbidden City.

When I finally traveled there, it was an incredibly moving experience, knowing that this was the actual place where it all happened. Plus, I don’t think you’re prepared for the fact that it really is an entire city. It’s huge. There are almost 1,000 buildings. There were so many cataclysmic events that took place in the world after the turn of the century, and Pu Yi’s story was certainly just one among many, but I think what touches me about him was that he was just a child born in the wrong place and absolutely at the wrong time, during such a tumultuous period in China’s history, when it all happened.

What is the best travel advice you were given?

My mother, who was a fashion designer and often had clients abroad, was an expert packer! She taught me how to pack everything as flat as possible. She even inverted beaded gowns for clients to ensure minimal amount of creasing or damage. It’s amazing how much you can fit in your luggage when you do that. Plus, you don’t really need to iron anything when you arrive.

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

With several of my paintings rolled up in my arms, I was once taken to the National Diet Building, the Japanese Parliament, in Tokyo, while it was still in session. This must have been more than 20 years ago. The politicians were not allowed to leave the building and one of them, whose name was Banri Kaieda, somehow heard about me and really wanted to see what my work looked like. A mutual acquaintance of ours took me there in a black sedan with some ladies, who told me that most Japanese people never entered this building in their lives. He was a tall, charming man, who spoke perfect English, and proudly showed me the espresso maker he acquired for his office. He has since become the Minister of Trade, and now he is the leader of the Democratic Party of Japan. I sent him a set of colorful espresso cups soon after that, I remember.

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

I have to say, much as I do love the usual obvious cities like Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong, New York, and Florence, I have to choose a place that is more compelling and meaningful for me, so absolutely hands down, it is Istanbul. I have traveled there four times in nearly 20 years, and it never ceases to fill me with a sense of awe with so many layers of history everywhere you look. Over time, I have watched it evolve into a very chic, modern city, so you have an amazing contrast of the ancient and traditional with the hip and happening. There is also nothing more unforgettable than sailing down the Bosporus River surrounded by mosques, Byzantine ruins, medieval forts, and hearing the muezzin’s call to prayer wafting through the air amid the wail of seagulls.

Name your favorite spot in the Philippines.

I do enjoy some of the beaches and islands here, but I’m really a city person, so my choice would be downtown Manila, around Intramuros and Malate. I often wonder about what Manila looked and felt like before WWII, and feel regret about how much of it was destroyed. I’m a big fan of Carmen Guerrero Nakpil’s book Myself, Elsewhere, where she describes what her life was like in Ermita before the war. You can still find traces of old Manila there, but sadly much of it has not been maintained. That, plus I grew up partying in Malate as a teenager.

Favorite airline?

Cathay Pacific. Among all the airlines I’ve flown, they are the ones I have been most loyal so far. They have very good service, and I’ve never had any problems with them in all these years.

Favorite airport?

Chek Lap Kok Airport in Hong Kong. It’s absolutely the most efficient I’ve ever seen. Plus, it’s immaculate and as quiet as a library, surprisingly.

Favorite museum?

That would definitely be the Istanbul Archaeological Museum on the grounds of the Topkapi Palace. This museum contains an incredible collection of Roman, Hellenistic, and Byzantine sculptures and artifacts as well as pieces from neighboring Anatolian cultures. Their collection is so vast that they actually have several Imperial Byzantine sarcophagi made of rare and precious porphyry just lying around in their gardens unmarked.

And if you could take home a piece of art, which one would it be?

I would take home the iconic bust of Alexander the Great from the second century BC that I go to see every single time I’m there! Obviously, this is only a hypothetical, since I’m very much against selfishly taking things out of museums and not sharing them with the public. Although, on the other hand, I’m not a big fan of reproductions either.

Favorite landmark?

The Hagia Sophia in Istanbul or the Church of the Holy Wisdom. The structure you see today was built in the 500s by the Byzantine emperor Justinian I, making it almost 1,500 years old. It absolutely takes your breath away!

Favorite mall or store?

The antique book market or Sahaflar Carsisi near the Beyazit Mosque in Istanbul. It was built over the site of an ancient Byzantine book and paper market, and continued through Ottoman times as, not only a market for books and manuscripts, but also as a gathering spot for intellectual and literary circles. There is a tiny shop that sells very old Ottoman manuscript pages that I have been buying from for almost 20 years. In fact, I now deal with the owner’s son. Alternatively, on the other side of the world, there is Liulichang Street in Beijing, which sells art books, calligraphy paraphernalia, Chinese brushes, and various weights of rice paper and mounted silk. I like buying art supplies there. It has been around in various incarnations pretty much since the Ming Dynasty.

Favorite restaurant or bar?

A recent one would be my trip to Jaipur in Rajasthan to attend the Literature Festival during the winter last year. Aside from meeting one of my favorite writers Michael Ondaatje, we were invited to a dinner at a private restaurant called 1135 A.D. located in one of the turrets of the Amber Fort. It is an enormous structure built by the Mughal emperors, whose lineage stretches back to both Genghis Khan and Tamerlane, and whose descendants included Shah Jahan of the Taj Mahal. The host had hundreds of lit candles placed all over the courtyard of the palace, and there were two elephants completely painted and saddled with riders, a costumed dancer astride a papier mache horse, and four trumpet players welcoming us as we went up the steps to the dinner. It was magical! Also, the food was terrific. On the other hand, I’m a big fan of the fast food chain Taco Bell, as well.

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

I would love to exhibit my paintings at the Venice Biennale. Alternatively, I wish I could participate in some kind of symposium that would explore ways to prevent world heritage monuments from being destroyed by war, civil unrest, or even politics.

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

On top of my list would be Jerusalem. All those layers of early Roman, Medieval, Arab, and Semitic history fascinate me. A close second would be Taormina in Sicily for the mixture of Greek, Roman, and Arab in their art and architecture. I have quite a long list…

Name a country you wish to explore.

That would be Uzbekistan in Central Asia. I would go to the cities of Samarkand and Bukhara to see the traces of that part of the Silk Road. If the situation was different, I would love to go to Afghanistan to see whatever sites and museums that have not been destroyed, blown up, or plundered by years of war and pillaging in cities like Bamiyan. The country has such precious artifacts and archaeological sites that provide rare and vital evidence of ancient human history, but so much of it is being obliterated or stolen for the black market. I’ve even seen a couple of things for sale in Afghan antique shops in Bangkok.

What would you say is the best part of travel?

Empty tourist sites, if one is lucky and manages to travel during off-peak times. Empty palaces, museums, temples, and art galleries. How wonderful is it to experience these places all to yourself!

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

Crowded tourist sites! Traveling during peak season when the airports are filled with obnoxious tourists, grumpy airline staff, and incompetent security.

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

Rome or Istanbul. I would love to be in a city surrounded by thousand-year-old structures and cobblestones. Living amid all this would constantly inspire my paintings. But I’d still need the conveniences of our modern world somewhere in the vicinity and an art supply store nearby, of course!