January 25, 2008 | 12:00am
Designer Jerome Lorico’s story isfamiliar, although no less inspiring. In 2005, barely in his 20s, he came to Manila from his hometown in Legaspi, Albay to pursue his dream of becoming a fashion designer. Though he says he was “not a product of any particular fashion school,” a creation of his — a bayong bag made of pandan leaves fitted with a leather handle — caught the eye of Manila’s stylish, particularly that of Cecile Van Straten, STAR fashion columnist and owner of hip fashion joint Store For All Seasons. Cecile invited Jerome to consign in her store, thus giving the rookie designer a chance to show off his wares.
“I was able to sustain my stay in Manila from the sales of that bag,” says Lorico. Soon after, he joined and won the first Animax FashionAbility design competition, inspired by a particular animé series from the cable channel. He then used his winnings to participate in the Philippine Fashion Week last year, and to enlist an entry in the Philippine Fashion Design Competition (PFDC), staged annually by the Fashion Design Council of the Philippines (FDCP), where he was one of the top 10 finalists.
In what he calls one of the greatest compliments in his budding career, the FDCP chose Jerome to be one of the country’s representatives at the 45th Japan Fashion Design Competition. Of the four Filipino prospects, his designs were the only ones approved by the Japan screening committee. And in the finals night of the international competition last Oct. 20, where 85 entries from all over the world, were displayed, Jerome’s concept-driven creation — composed of a synthetic leather biker jacket worn over a minidress with a corset made of liquid rubber and a flouncy, heavily appliquéd skirt — was awarded the Judges’ Special or the Jury Prize. To cherry-top the already sweet victory, Jerome’s was the only non-Japanese entry that won one of the 11 awards given that night.
After a flurry of competitions, Jerome is settling down for now, trying to build up a regular clientele. It’s hardly a difficult feat, as many are attracted to his playful use of texture and familiarity with unconventional material. “I like working with classic and simple silhouettes and then dressing these up with heavy details.” As is, his gowns are liberally sprinkled with fabric cutouts, trussed up with pouffy geometric designs, or finished with unusual forms of layering.
“All this has been a baptism of fire for me,” declares the design newbie. At 23, Jerome Lorico is on solid ground, with sights set on taking flight. His is a familiar story. But it is all up to Jerome to see how everything else, after his glorious start, pans out.
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