TEN Mindanao fashion designers of whom seven were first-timers presented their designs at the Thailand Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 22-23 in Bangkok last June 29-30, 2022 featuring Haute Couture, Ready-to-wear, Avant-Garde, Accessories, and Footwear.
Representing Fashion Design Alliance Mindanao (Fadal Mindanao), the team is led by Fadal Mindanao Director Xioti Chiu of Davao City and included the show’s youngest designer also from Davao City, 16-year-old Eve Mcenzie Schleye Han or just Mcenzie Han.
Thailand Fashion Week showcases collections from both established and emerging brands, where each collection is presented in a runway show.
A nurse by profession, Xioti has chosen to be a fashion designer since 2012 and is an alumnus of the Fashion Institute of the Philippines, recognized as the Designer of the Year of his class.
Known for his innovative and intricate streetwear designs, Xioti has also become a mentor for young designers.
There as first-time designers were:
Daryl Tejano of Agusan del Sur, one of the pioneering graduates of the Philippine Fashion Academy (PFA) under the tutelage of Xioti. Although he also made it to the Thailand Fashion Week in 2021, this was his first actual show since the other was held online.
Alexies Redecio of Tacurong City in Sultan Kudarat, a self-taught artist who highlighted Mindanao culture in his creations.
Gladys Ayuste from Maragusan, Davao de Oro, whose beginnings in print/runway modeling, filmmaking, production, and costume design has developed her avant-garde, futuristic, and utilitarian artistic concepts in fashion design.
Merlyn Sandig Ramos also of Tacurong City who is an alumna of the Cora Doloroso Career Center and has taken over the family dress shop in Tacurong in 2000. She enhanced her fashion design skills under Xioti at PFA after which her design was among those chosen to be worn in the Miss World Philippines pageant in 2020.
Mcenzie began her career as a fashion designer just a year ago at 15 after completing her Fashion Designing Course at PFA in 2020. A graduating junior high school student, she had to juggle her time between her studies and creating the designs for her collection in this show.
Worth mentioning is that her collection features her handpainted portraits of her cats. Ivan Raborar of Marbel, who has made his name as “Prince of Tanalak Couture” in South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat. His creations have been worn by the likes of Senator Loren Legarda and actress Patricia Tumulak, among many others.
Julien Gentica of Tacurong City, a self-taught fashion designer who first made a name as an interior designer in Saudi Arabia.
Joining them along with Xioti were:
Alexies Redecio of Tacurong, a self-taught artist who has honed his skills in the performing arts and design; Cheri-Lou Aranjuez of Compostela in Davao de Oro, who is an advocate of preserving the art and culture of indigenous peoples and an alumna of Philippine Women’s College. Che Aranjuez was the only Mindanaon fashion designer invited to London Fashion Week in 2018 and 2019 to showcase her masterpieces highlighting Mindanaon textiles.
Joy Soo of Tagum City, who pursued fashion design upon her retirement as a businesswoman and accountant in 2020 and created the artisan fabric The MUSA, which helps the local community, especially the Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) and women from indigenous groups in Davao del Norte.
Fadal Mindanao is the local arm of Fadal Manila, which was established in 2010 by Levenson Rodriguez.
Both first-time and experienced international show designers can only gush about the Thailand Fashion Show as this made them more confident about their designs as well as learn from the other collections.
“Fadal aims for greater heights, which means gearing towards a wider audience. With this in mind, the organization serves as a platform where we put each designer in a spotlight, helping each other to market themselves in this cut throat industry,” Xioti said. SAE