Maybe a vacation somewhere up the mountains among the trees and cool breezes, savoring nature’s wondrous glory, or perhaps under the sun, on the sand;and the blue waters of Boracay. Not thinking about the pains and rigors he had to go through in the creation of his masterpieces for the competitions. Just enjoying the fruits of his success. Of course, this is not the case. Alex is not one to stay idle for too long. Fashion is his life; he breathes and lives it–to the great delight of everyone in the fashion industry and the patrons of haute couture.
His creations are a marvel to behold. Case in point: his winning entry at the Philippine Fashion and Design competition last December. The fabric used is a mix of betel nut, abaca and pineapple fibers on a base of chiffon fibers in mocha brown. It is unlike anything anybody has ever seen before–unless they’ve already seen one of Alex’s earlier collections. "I want to have my own identity," he says empathically, "I want to make my own trademark." He experimented with synthetic and natural fabrics to achieve this look–making the synthetic appear and feel real, and the natural into something synthetic. "So when you say fiber, it’s an Alex Pigao," he adds with a smile.
In an industry where everybody is out looking for the "new thing" and never-before-seen designs, Alex delivers. "In every competition, there are requirements–like in Paris, they are really for haute couture; in Milan, it’s more of RTW; and in the Philippines, it’s more of the texture." Alex gives the judges what they want from a design and more. "The reason why I won the Young Designer of the Year is because my designs are very Filipino," he confides. "My colors are very kayumanggi." He uses indigenous materials to give them texture. The inspirations come from everywhere–from the Philippine landscape to the culture of his roots in Vigan, Ilocos Sur.
Asked about the Philippine fashion scene today, he says, without any hesitation, "I think it’s very good and the future is promising because a lot of young people today are studying fashion and soon, they will even be better than me–that’s why I am joining the contests while I still can." And what about his future? There is the government-sponsored gala fashion show, "Ties that Bind" in Shanghai, China, the Fashion Week early last month, and of course, his scholarship to Milan, among other things. Maybe soon, there will be an Alex Pigao RTW line, and even an Alex Pigao fashion design school. For all we know, we might be hearing of a hot new international fashion designer named Alex Pigao. Alex Pigao resting on his laurels anytime soon? Heck, no.