[ad_1]
It was the perfect confluence of fashion and philanthropy: Rajo Laurel's 25th year as a fashion designer and the 10th year of the Red Charity Gala. The biggest fundraising event of the year took place on Saturday night in the country's largest ballroom, the Marriott Hotel Manila.
The gala is led by social figures Tessa Prieto-Valdes and Kaye Tinga for the Philippine Red Cross, the 1981 Assumption class projects and the new Red Charity Fund for Deserving Students from the Mint School of Fashion. The show, led by Robby Carmona, began with the Bench Holiday collection and Rajo's Filipino international star and childhood friend, Lea Salonga, singing "The Journey," echoing the stylist's journey to stardom. The top models, Jo Ann Bitagcol, Jasmine Maierhofer and Ria Bolivar inaugurated the eleganza extravagance in sculptural creations elaborated in abaca.
Without restraint, Rajo has launched a hundred of his creations on the track of 250 meters. "The collection is called" Archipelago ". She really started without a story. I am normally a very methodical designer. I like to be very clear about what I do, but for this particular experience, I wanted to create something almost without narration. More specifically, there would be [creative] freedom. The reason I did it this way was, first and foremost, to be able to use natural materials, modern and indigenous materials. In fact, 75% of the collection is handmade, "explained the prolific designer.
Earlier last year, he went to the Philippine Textile Research Institute to immerse himself in the various weaving communities in the Philippines: "From there, we started all these experiments. For example, I was very lucky to learn from Narda Capuyan before his death. She taught me some techniques of weaving the cordillera. The clothes became part of the "Ugnayan" suite. "
In "Vinta", inspired by the Sulu Badjaos, he wanted to capture the movements of the colorful veils inside the clothes, which are a patchwork / collage of different materials. The underwater coral formations of the Philippine seas have inspired "Korales".
"I do not have any dominant material. "Una" parts were the most difficult to manufacture. They are acrylic, automotive paint and polyurethane. It was very, very difficult. These are my modern and futuristic adaptations of ternos, "said Rajo.
The show was an essay on "What's the Filipino Style?" And Rajo went on to the main points of the archipelago to find the answers in the form of clothes. He interpreted the pañuelo for "Traje" in the post-modern era. "I was inspired by the trendy graphic stripes of the 1900s and want to bring this pattern back into fashion. traje. "
"Saranggola" was an ode to the kites he made as a child, made of digitally woven silk brocade. "Taal" was a tribute to his native Batangas, he incorporated an embroidery to mimic the seismic movements of Taal Lake and Taal Volcano. The final piece was called "Sabong", a dress festooned with feathers. "My lolo from my mother's side, from Dumaguete, was a sabongero", Revealed Rajo, who perfected his apprenticeship for Louie Mamengo, Pepito Albert and Isaac Mizrahi. The closest concession that he made to a retrospective was to revisit his "Pintados" dresses. "But this time I used the [Philippine ancient alphabet] Alibata and tritik as a kind of reference. The dresses are laser cut on tulle, celebrating the craftsmanship and craftsmanship of the artisans, "Rajo said.
The professional model association from the Philippines organized a gala for Rajo in the mid-1990s, but he did not "resurrect" them for the gala. However, as he jokingly noted his Tito the girls of these models walked for him this time, like Sabina of Tweetie de Leon and Aya of Desiree Verdadero. "The most difficult for me [in doing the collection] was to determine which techniques are new, fresh and innovative, both portable and pushing the boundaries. You know, when you design, it's always a tussleno ba 'yung bago or ba' yung gusto nila. You should also talk to your clients because that is essentially for them. It's almost like an opus where I try to play a little design, "said the graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City and the center of St. Martin.
The collection was indulgent and could have benefited from self-publishing. As Cristobal Balenciaga had decreed: "The elegance, it is the elimination." But Rajo, the clever businessman, understands the results.
"I'm still thinking about my clients. What they will need, what they will wear. But since it's more of a couture show, it's not a ready-to-wear perspective, but the collection remains [grounded] in reality. When I draw, I do not want [the clothes] to be like museum pieces. I want them to be worn, not admired hanging in a closet. I want my customers to wear my creations. I thought about the women I dressed in the past 25 years and how I can always meet their needs, "he explained.
Rajo is the only Filipino designer to own a viable fashion house, Laurel House.
Designing while running a business can be difficult, as evidenced by the mental depression of its foreign peers. How does he manage?
"I delegate. I also have my family helping me. Lola Betty is an early inspiration. Sister Gela led MAC's makeup team for the show. I am not alone. It turns out that they help me in my vision and support me. We work together, "said grateful Rajo, restoring his bursting heart. "Hindi naman 'yun kaya mag-isa. Negosyo Kasi Pero Bina-Balanse. The show is fun, but there is an important marketing aspect. After 25 years, you must resurrect yourself. It's cathartic. You have to reinvent and know how to stay relevant. "
Source link
