Patrice Diaz goes tribal-tech for yogawear

After her shift to RTW, Patrice Ramos Diaz has channeled her efforts into sportswear, searching for middle ground between the quietly luxurious and the easy to wear. Some might say yogawear is a natural progression for the designer who recently debuted her line at Urban Ashram Manila.

“It’s the largest yoga studio in the Philippines,” Patrice says. “The studio’s signature offering is ‘Flexibility Not Required’ which allows beginners to develop strong fundamentals and introduces yoga to the student in a way that is not intimidating.” Maricar Holopainen, director and teacher at Urban Ashram Manila, says, “Patrice’s fashion show is part of our advocacy to promote the practice of yoga to as many people as possible. We hope to promote yoga as a lifestyle choice and reach a wider audience through fashion.”

YStyle sat down with the designer to talk weight loss and taking tribal prints to the yoga studio. 

YSTYLE: Are you a big fitness freak? 

PATRICE DIAZ: I can’t say I’m a fitness freak, but I’m definitely having a sporty moment in fashion. I do aspire to be a fitness freak and I do envy people who have the time to regularly engage in a chosen sport. Actually, I grew up in a family obsessed with squash and rowing. Now that I have kids (three athletic boys at that), I am constantly in the midst of sports gear, with sportswear on the top shelf of my family’s wardrobe. I am also always on to some kind of sport, but last year, I decided to try yoga. It was somewhat life-changing for me, that’s why I am quite excited about my collaboration with Urban Ashram. Like them, I believe not only in the physical benefits you gain from the practice, but also the philosophy of self-discovery that it espouses. 

What prompted you to start this line? 

On weekends, I usually am out on a soccer field watching my kids play in their tournaments. Quite often, too, my husband and I watch our eldest son compete in local golf tournaments. Other times, we all play golf. On my own, depending on my mood, I do yoga or tennis, and lately I’ve been playing squash again. I totally appreciate the comfort of sportswear and figured it would be fun to infuse it with a bit of design to address the wardrobe needs of people with the kind of lifestyle I have.

For this collection, I chose yoga because it combines both athleticism and grace. It’s almost like an art in both stillness and motion. And because yoga and loungewear have become extremely popular, not only in the “shala” or gym, but even for casual wear and for traveling.  

Who did you have in mind while designing this? 

Women like myself: the soccer moms, golf moms, yoga practitioners and all fashion-conscious active women. The line focuses on clothing for an active lifestyle, offering designs that are at once elegant and comfortable. Health and fitness has become so much a part of today’s lifestyle that I saw the need to create clothes that were appropriate for the yoga mat or gym as they would be for everyday use. 

The overall visual tone of the collection is tribal-tech, which is a convergence of tradition and innovation. The unexpected mix of very old, familiar elements such as the ikat print with modern moisture-wicking techno fabric was, for me, an interesting contrast. The play on these elements express what I feel yoga is about: a personal breakthrough where you find yourself on a journey of self discovery, but gain a new appreciation for the most basic things such as silence and breathing, and the balance between effort and ease in our daily lives. There are elements of sportswear that pop — the prints, the use of neon. Yoga wear tends to be a lot of beige.

Was this a definitive move on your part to include lots of colors and prints? 

As a designer, it is normal for me to attempt things that are not normally done. I love neutral colors and I’d say my aesthetic has always leaned toward the neutrals, but for this collection, I needed to make a stronger statement to help gain more interest and attention for yoga.  

Is this just for yoga? Or do the aesthetics of yogawear simply come into play and this line is just an extension of that, meant to be worn as casual garb?

A third of my collection was yoga/workout wear. I am still learning to manipulate these materials, which I’ve never used before. The sewing, the finishing, even the thread is different from what I and my production team were used to. The rest are casual/loungewear.

There was a New York Times story that recently came out denouncing yoga as a gimmick for sex freaks. 

The New York Times article was about this research by a guy whose objective was to debunk the benefits of yoga as myths. He mentioned some library in Calcutta where he says he found information that yogis in old times practiced sex rituals and that they promoted yoga as a way to sexual ecstasy. He moves on to say other negative things, such as yoga is wrecking the body, and even causing serious injury or a stroke. Modern-day yoga, he says, has been “re-branded” and its popularity has gained for it a big money-making platform — books, DVDs, clothes, mats, etc. I had a feeling that this guy wanted a piece of that pie by writing this book.

A lot of people enter yoga for meditative aspect, not so much to lose weight. What brought you into yoga? And is there something here for people obsessed with the bottom line — like weight loss?

Actually, it was the meditative aspect that got me curious. I found work to be too stressful and I thought maybe yoga could help me decompress... and it did. Weight loss, muscle toning and building strength were just my secondary goals. Yoga’s deep breathing allows more oxygen into your body, which helps you burn calories. Each pose also corresponds to specific therapeutic or healing effects to the body. There are poses that target your thyroid glands, making your metabolism more efficient. 

So many new types of exercises have been developed such as Zumba, Barre, TRX, Plana Forma, etc. It’s great because we have so many options now. We can surely find something that works for us. I love yoga because for me, it is not just an exercise routine. As Maricar of Urban Ashram explained, “Yoga contributes to the practitioners’ spirituality, and overall they develop a better outlook on life.” It also serves as good supplementary training for other sports.

Patrice Diaz’s yoga line is available at Urban Ashram Manila, located at Brixton St., Pasig City. For info check out www.urbanashrammanila.com.