A Fine Stitch

Most of the guests were properly dressed to the nines, adorned in flowing gowns with beads and sequins, feathers and flowers, and appropriately bejeweled too. But all their finery paled when 60 gowns by the late great Ramon Valera were put on show in a retrospective exhibit at the National Museum of the Filipino People, that venerable building that used to house the Finance Department, now carefully restored and refurbished into a museum we can all be proud of.

The exhibit opening was the occasion for a grand gala dinner to raise funds for the Philippine National Red Cross, the second such fund-raiser organized by the indefatigable Nedy Tantoco. The Valera retrospective has long been a dream project for Nedy, and the exhibit–which will run for at least a couple of months, so be sure to catch it–is a valiant effort indeed, a definitive look at one of our earliest fashion greats.

Several of the ladies who lent their lovingly preserved gowns for the exhibit were at the opening, happily remembering the time they wore the gowns many–of course, no one counted, or dared ask, how many–years ago. While the ladies may show concern about the passing of the years, most of the gowns still make a formidable fashion statement today. The intricate and finely executed bead and embroidery works, the precise cut, the perfect fall and drape, the right amount of ornamentation, the blend and contrast of colors...it all showed a master touch that set Valera above the rest.

One cannot help but wonder though whether such fine sensibilities might belong to a bygone era, to the fine old days when such luxury was good taste, not ostentation. For peasants like me, such finery belongs in just such a setting–the halls of a museum, displayed as a tribute to great artistry and fine craftsmanship.

I must put in a word about the gala event’s beneficiary, the Philippine National Red Cross, or Tita Rosa Rosal will be very upset with me. The Red Cross provides a safe blood supply, most often to "the poorest of the poor" (in Tita Rose’s words) who cannot afford to purchase from commercial blood banks. To ensure the safety of the blood supply, the Red Cross has to purchase reagents and other materials to ensure that the blood is not tainted or contaminated. In addition, the Red Cross is on the scene in every calamity or disaster that strikes–wherever it may be, whoever it may befall.