HE DARED to explore beyond the comforts of his young but thriving fashion business and landed among the ten young designers for the Bench design Awards where he got to present an eight-piece collection of wearable casual attires with distinct Mindanao feel to it.
That's Wilson N. Limon Jr., one of Davao's young names in the fashion industry and who owns the Ninofranco line, and winner of the 1st Stella Mindanao Young Designers Competition in 2016.
Wilson said he was eyeing the AirAsia Runway Ready Designer Search but felt that he was not yet ready for that, and so he stumbled on the Bench Design Awards instead and submitted his application along with 56 others from all over the country.
From the 56, this was trimmed down to 17 who were tasked to create a six-piece collection to show. From 17, this was further trimmed to 10. This time, they were asked to make an eight-piece collection.
"I didn't make it as winner, but it was already a winning moment for me to be at the top 10," he said during last Tuesday's Art Talk, the monthly arts and culture media forum at the RBG Grill of Park Inn Hotel by Radisson.
He got the needed exposure, he said, and the valuable tips from the judges that included a Japanese panel.
The winners, he said, were heavy on layering, while he opted for street wearable designs that had details derived from Tboli and Bagobo-Tagabawa patterns. He's not regretting anything.
His advice to aspiring fashion designers? Stick to your own design aesthetic, focus on your look, and build your strength from that.