IN THE tale “Little Red Riding Hood,” the wolf was the menacing creature who gobbled up Grandma, and disguised himself as the grandmother to trick a little girl, hoping to eat her too.
For Cebuano fashion designer Jann Bungcaras, the wolf, is the first-ever character he came across that ever cross-dressed. His 2019 holiday collection “Howling: A Wolf’s Longing,” was created with the perception that not everything is what it seems.
“The different narration I was implying for this collection is that the wolf was just a misunderstood woman in a male wolf’s body,” said Bungcaras.
“I made the wolf somehow relatable, and created a new perspective of the story. On one side, he is the villain because he devoured Red’s Grandma. On the other, he was a victim of society, suppressing who ‘she’ really was, having female meals as ‘her’ outlet to feel like a woman. It is quite psychotic, selfish, but ‘she’ is still a wolf and ‘she’ has to eat.”
To achieve the look, Bungcaras utilized materials including brocades turned into ensembles inspired by Grandma’s house; water-ripple printed tarpaulin turned wearable pants and jacket that serve as a representation of the wolf’s defeat; and cotton yarn crocheted into orchid brooches, interpreting the wolf’s moment of deceit.
Bungcaras made sure to use recycled, reused materials in an effort to protect the environment.
Asked what drew him to this subject: “This collection gives you the chance to look at a villain differently, to look at ourselves differently; whether or not you are truly living your truth. I chose to do this retelling because there are so many misunderstood people out there, people who are still hiding from who they truly are, and people who are still longing, pretending to be under other people’s skin.”
Bungcaras continues to delve into narrations, particularly fiction and history; an oxymoron he pointed out yet still feels like an easy blend. It always starts with personal thoughts and experiences, interpreted in a way people aren’t just familiar with but are also relatable. No matter how, narrations will always be apparent in his works.
“For the Red’s wolf, I experienced pretending to be someone I am not, and by doing so, it unleashed more damage than answers.”
Designer: Jann Bungcaras
Photographer: Briann Tan
Photography assistant: Maribel Lopez
Head stylist and grooming: Gee Jocson
Styling assistant: James Bradlee Gomez
Creative logistics: Antonina Amoncio
Models: Giovanni and Andrew of Certeza Model Management