Friday, January 11, 2008 Hong Kong, bai By Clint Holton P. Potestas
“THE audience was amused to experience Cebuano style and taste,” says fashion designer Philip Rodriguez. Alongside with a six-course Cebuano fusion dinner, he featured two Filipino-inspired collections: Palikpik and Paseo sa Plaza in a runway show at the Marco Polo Hotel (MPH) in Hong Kong.
By the way, bai is a stylized way of writing abay or ‘bay, the Cebuano word for mate or friend.
Palikpik (literally “fins”), an ensemble of fabric cut-outs with dramatic movements, was a take off from the local version of the Christmas star. “It’s the ‘modern parol’ that has inspired me; its color, its happy mood,” the Cebuano designer explains. Mood is shown in the colors he has utilized.
Bright hues of yellow, green, and orange blazed on the outfits.
“I think bright colors will be a hit this year,” he adds.
Contemporary meets classic in the plaza. His promenade at the town square or Paseo sa Plaza assembly was blended with tidbits of Spanish patterns and fabric cut-outs. Cuts were experimental in Rodriguez’s Maria Clara pieces, but limited to the vintage mix of black and white.
As “sidebar” to Paseo sa Plaza was the Matud Nila (title of a romantic song) portion. It highlighted the classical terno, a Filipino dress with either long or short hemline and with butterfly sleeves. The painstaking appliqué on the garment also garnered nods from the style observers during the repeat show at the MPH in Cebu.
Rodriquez, who has staged fashion shows in Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, and Hong Kong, promised to bring Cebuano taste and style across the globe. “It’s always good to promote our local fashion in other countries—style that has a Filipino touch with international flavor,” Rodriguez proudly states.
With his eye for fashion and color, and the spirit of resiliency and ingenuity, Rodriguez will soon hoist the local banner to the world. And certainly, “Ato gyod ni, bai.” Our very own.
