The Postmodern Barong Tagalog By Barge Ramos
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From the New York Fashion Week 2019 Collection, a handwoven pinya Barong Tagalog Tunic, worn with black, heavy lace pants; Swing Coat in handwoven Inabel fabric combinations, worn with a loose, black inner sheath (Photo by Peter Pe, M.D.)
Barge Ramos (Photo by Peter Pe, M.D.)
With perennial director, Audie Espino, “Fashion Forte” found a home in Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria at the Ortigas Center. On June 29, newbie designers displayed their efforts, with Ramos’ creations serving as the fitting finale.
The beloved designer’s battle cry? “Filipiniana lives forever!”
“I thought of the word ‘Filipinesque’ when I was doing my collection for ‘Fashion Forte’ with a Filipino inspiration. I used handwoven fabrics from Mindanao, but giving the fabrics a contemporary feeling by mixing them with abstract batik hand-painting and re-inventing the Barong Tagalog in a loose silhouette and wider sleeves with no cuffs,” explained Ramos.
Cordillera and Mindanao handwovens on sheer black organdy, with my signature double collar (Photo by Peter Pe, M.D.)
Here, the acclaimed designer shares his thoughts on the traditional garment of Filipinos, the barong Tagalog, in a postmodern world:
On the use and sourcing of materials:
“The fabrics are a mix of sheer organdy, handwoven textiles from the Cordilleras and Mindanao, with handwoven pinya in black and black, pleated jusi fabric. My desire to pit texture against texture and challenge visual effects.”
Abstract handpainting and embroidered, dyed jusi Barong Tagalog; the back is made of pleated, black jusi fabric (Photo by Peter Pe, M.D.)
The challenges of procuring them:
“There are always challenges to a designer who’s in need of presenting new options over the traditional. There are no shortcuts. One has to be patient in gathering materials and different textures.”
Stripes and Mindanao handwoven fabric mix with black organdy; sleeves are loose and wider (Photo by Peter Pe, M.D.)
On saying yes to Fashion Forte, Nardie Presa and Audie Espino:
“For the longest time, Nardie Presa had been asking me to be the finale of his Fashion Forte series. When our mutual friend Edgar Madamba passed away recently, I decided to say yes to Nardie. There are so many things I still want to accomplish, and one never knows when his journey ends. Audie himself was surprised because since Philippine Fashion Week, which he and his brother Joey started, I’ve turned down a lot of their letters.”
Handpainted pinya in abstract, Van Gogh-esque pattern (Photo by Peter Pe, M.D.)
How the barong Tagalog should retain its dignified identity:
“The barong Tagalog is not as easy to create as it looks. The cut and proportion are crucial, as also the collar construction, which frames the face. I introduced the ‘double collar’ for this Barong collection, and the loose silhouette with wider sleeves that are folded and buttoned at the wrist.
Swirls handpainted on jusi match the colors of handwoven Mindanao fabric (Photo by Peter Pe, M.D.)
“Always with respect to tradition and culture, but with a keen eye for innovative details, the designer strikes a delicate balance.
‘The words of Josie Natori keep coming back to me. Decades ago in New York, I sat in her office and she showed me a simple chemise. ‘It’s a basic chemise,’ I said. ‘Yes,’ she said, ‘but when you design or re-design something, you make it look like it’s the first time it’s being invented.’”
Trio of loose, oversized Barong Tagalog tops, worn open with skin-tone swimming trunks for the eye-popping opening number (Photo by Peter Pe, M.D.)
Charlize Mendez Legaspi is a fashion and lifestyle journalist whose works have been published in Philippine publications such as Today, Metro Working Mom, Metro Weddings, S showbiz magazine, Celebrity Living, Showbiz Sosyal, People Asia, Experience Travel and Living, Manila Bulletin, interaksyon.com and philstar.com, Daily Tribune, Agung (the magazine of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts), and the Singapore-based Solitaire magazine.
This writer, with a developing blog, misscharlize.wordpress.com, is a beauty, travel, celebrity and fashion columnist for BusinessMirror, the nation's leading business daily. As much as possible the column, called Tota Pulchra, only deals with the good, the great and the glamorous.
