New York was anything but ordinary. On our first day on 5th Avenue, we readily imbibed the energy and varied cultures of the City That Never Sleeps. This cold spring of 2019, Albert Andrada and I were poised to have a bite of that Big Apple with our 50-piece collection, dubbed “Fabulous Philippines, a Perfect Wedding Destination.”

“Perfume and Incense” was my 2019 collection for New York Fashion Week Bridal. A very personal collection, it was a concept that had been brewing in my mind for years. In the world but not of the world, the design aesthetic revolves around the Spanish prayer of Teresa de Avila, “Nada Te Turbe,” or “Let Nothing Disturb Thee.”

 

True to my core values, I conceptualized a 25-piece collection as something meditative, in the contemporary spirit of clothing, using the fragile and transient appeal of delicate handwoven materials like pineapple fiber, abaca and bamboo, and the contrasting patterns of inabel cotton. I strongly feel that these artisanal components are important for Filipino designers to be able to break into global mainstream fashion.

 

I imagined transporting my New York audience to a reflective time and space via these tonal and indigenous fabrications, mixed with embroidery and airbrush painting. The signature piece in my collection would have to be the black jusi batik hand-painted prayer of Teresa de Avila, in a facsimile of the saint’s penmanship, worn as an oversized square top over a black halter tent dress, and also as a barong Tagalog. To create and invent something meaningful to me means working with indigenous weaves and experimental effects, like hand painting over embroidery.

 

Picture-perfect

St. Patrick’s Cathedral has always been my idea of New York. It was the first place I visited on my very first trip to New York. Amid all the changing fashion, art installations, exhibits and Broadway musicals, the constant, solid ground for me has always been St. Patrick’s. So the venue of our fashion show, Landmark on the Park, in Central Park West, was picture-perfect.

 

A former church built in 1896 that has been decommissioned, the structure is now an awesome events venue. The main altar was designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany, with stained glass windows by Clayton and Bell of London, and the classic church organ donated by Andrew and Louise Carnegie. Once a hallowed hall of worship, it was now the runway for my “Perfume and Incense” collection.

 

Albert Andrada’s “Inamorata” was his Spring 2019 Bridal Collection for New York Fashion Week.

 

“I’ve always had this fascination for the Spanish period in Philippine history,” Albert said. “Images of elegant Filipinas in elegant ilustrado fashion, blending traditional silhouettes with western details and quaint accessories, all inspired me. The female characters of Jose Rizal’s novels moved me to create my “Inamorata” collection of timeless, elegant gowns and cocktail dresses for the modern-day Filipina on her most important date at the altar.”

“Inamorata” is also Albert’s preview of his forthcoming gala fashion show in November, “where I will be deriving fresh inspiration from San Sebastian,” he noted. “Today a lot of Filipino design students are being properly trained in the Philippines. Later, they get to work and be mentored by senior designers, and some even get to travel abroad and enroll in short courses in London. There’s a lot of innovation today, and technology is at the forefront of fashion. For sure, Filipino designers can easily compete in the international scene.”

 

I cannot give enough thanks to Christine May Daguno-Canoy, our producer, president and CEO of Neocolors Productions International, for giving Albert and me her full trust and support in this fashion endeavor. Thanks also to our director, Joey Espino, who gave us a fabulous lineup of models from Ford Model Agency and Major New York. —CONTRIBUTED

 

Photo credits: Troi Santos and Rico Cruz