DOWN SOUTH

I do not believe in having a signature look because my creations are not something that you find in your passport, in your bankbook or in your marriage contract. They change everyday," purrs Jun Escario, as he unloads his freshest harvest from the south. Cebuano designer Jun Escario is making a splash despite the creeping heat of summer. After conquering the scene in the south with his southern-belle-with a martini affliction hits, he brings his intoxicated princess wares to where the queens of bub proudly wear their tiaras.

It’s already apparent how he has, in such little time, charmed his way to the wardrobes of the most discriminating of style mavens. Leah Puyat, visually arresting at the Tatler party in Greenbelt last week in one of his ribbonned dresses, and cousin Wendy Puyat buying his clothes by the truckload could only mean one thing-trouble. "My career path is my life journey. There is always a need to grow, to improve, to do the same things in different ways, to do new things and learn from them. The possibilities are endless. In the creative world, the need for change is more pronounced."

"I look at my coming to Manila as an extension of my creative work, which has roots in Cebu. I am aware that in this new environment, with me being a relatively new player, with the dynamism of the Manila fashion industry, the Southern sensibility and style in fashion has room to grow and be recognized," he shares. Sensible words from someone who does sensible unexpectedly well. His aesthetic is fresh without being jarring. Elegance without the constraint yet without the wasteful harlot vigor. It’s the pretty clothes that belong in the steamer of a society queen who has a taste for shady friends. In other words, clothes for my kind of gal.

His line varies from casual pieces consisting mostly of silks with handpainted details to complicated – of flossed chiffon and sculptural silhouttes. "I’ve always had a stong personal style. I grew up having this compulsion for dressing up, for looking good, for making a fashion statement. It was never a conscious effort though, as nonchalant flamboyance seemed to be my genetic make-up," Jun jokes in a hearty manner. On working in Manila, Jun realizes that it is a challenge not to be feared Despite the fact that he has opened a creamy atalier and even a irreverent nightclub in Cebu charmingly called DTM "Don‚t Tell Mama" Jun is ready not to get bored. "The dynamics of the fashion industry here in Manila is far different from that of Cebu. Competition here is cutting edge. One needs constant exposure. Sometimes, pure talent is just not enough. Other factors come to play. Life here is always in a rush. Everything seems to have its appointed time. In Cebu, we are more relaxed, laid back but not backward. We take things with ease. The brightest lights in Philippine fashion are here in Manila. To be in the same industry that they work in is a daunting challenge."

It’s time to get excited once again with the not-so-new-kid on the block.

Welcome to the age of dissonance – irony has never been worn so well.

Jun Escario studio with OJ Hoffer is located at LPL Tower Legaspi Village, Makati, for appointments only call 8173252.