Throughout the pandemic, Rustan’s designer Criselda Lontok met her colleagues via Zoom every Tuesday to be updated on the performance of her eponymous clothing line. While others let go of their looks during quarantine, she maintained elegance, clad in her bright-colored or printed kaftans, matched with chunky accessories. Her dolled-up face was highlighted with the bold, red lipstick that made her look younger. Last Tuesday, Sept. 21, Marie Laurio, the merchandising manager, kept sending messages and calling up her boss, to no avail. She told Reah Castro, Rustan’s division manager for womenswear, that Lontok had not been answering her since Monday.

“When she didn’t attend our meeting, we felt something was wrong. It was not like her to not inform us,” said Castro.

Lontok’s youngest son, John Anthony Fernandez, 55, recalled that on Monday, his mother’s health was weakening, as she has had several health conditions, including a lung disorder. That night, she was disoriented and her speech was incomprehensible.

On Tuesday, when she couldn’t breathe, she was rushed to Makati Medical Center. Before leaving the emergency room after several hours, Fernandez told her, “I love you,” and kissed her on the forehead. Despite her worsening condition, Lontok managed to reply with a slurred “I love you.”

Fernandez left with that memory of his mother’s affection. “She was ready to let go,” he said.

Lontok died in the early morning of Sept. 22 of cardiac arrest. She was 81.

Beyond aging

Zenaida “Nedy” Tantoco, chairperson and CEO of the Rustan Group of Companies, and Lontok’s friends and colleagues were shocked.

“Criselda is Rustan’s and Rustan’s is Criselda,” she said. Lontok had been with the company for 47 years, 38 of which were devoted to her namesake label. “She was an icon and she will always be remembered for her contributions not just to Rustan’s, but to the entire Philippine fashion industry.”

Lontok challenged ideas about aging and fashion, with herself as the best example. She was always well-groomed and put-together, such that not even her close friends could tell her true age. (She was born Aug. 10, 1940.)

Women who couldn’t find clothes in their sizes in other brands finally got them at Criselda Lontok. She offered the convenience of not having to go to the dressmaker. Her off-the-rack clothing in larger sizes concealed bulges and flabby arms.

Dust coats, A-line dresses and jackets with bell or angel sleeves, loose pants, huge floral prints and appliqués and froufrou were her signatures. The Celine, a georgette top with a cutaway front and longer back, was a favorite of women of a certain age for entertaining at home.

In a Viber message, Nedy recalled the closeness between her mother, Rustan’s co-founder Gliceria “Glecy” Tantoco, and Lontok.

The designer once told Inquirer Lifestyle that Glecy asked her to develop a line of loose tops for women. She had developed an eye for fashion after modeling for couturiers in the ‘50s and ‘60s. Lontok learned the technicalities of fashion when she was a brand manager for Rustan’s’ imported labels such as Oleg Cassini. The private label called Mode International became an instant success when the addition of separates and dresses boosted the sales. Lontok could tell Glecy that she wanted to sack the supplier who cheated Rustan’s with the sizing of the clothes.

“She was very goal-oriented while remaining steadfast to her principles and loyal to the company’s goals,” said Nedy.

Glecy was impressed with Lontok’s diligence and unerring taste, such that she was finally introduced as a Rustan’s designer with her own label in 1983.

Work is love

Donnie Tantoco, president of the Rustan Commercial Corp., said in modesty that his status as grandson of the founders and his 30-year service could not match Lontok’s contribution.

“She could have retired, but she never did because she loved what she did. She had a deep sense of gratitude to Lolo (Bienvenido Tantoco Sr.) and Lola (Glecy). They said, ‘Our work is our love made visible.’ She literally worked almost until her last breath. I have admired how she kept setting new records with the brand,” said Donnie.

In her last fashion show in 2019, Lontok told Lifestyle that the seven-figure revenues for that day broke the record among her previous salon shows.

“When she prepared for her fashion show, she put her heart into every single detail,” said Nedy. “To her, every fashion show was an exciting event and an opportunity to make a statement. She personally called and sent messages to her guests. The women she dressed were not just customers, but her muses, her source of inspiration.”

These muses were the likes of developer Joy Rustia, philanthropist Marge Tambunting, politician’s wife Chari Bagatsing, and heiress Marivic Vazquez, to name a few.

From gowns to lounge wear

Donnie admired how Lontok worked with the same intensity throughout the pandemic. Aside from Laurio and Castro, the designer interacted with suppliers via Zoom. They sent her samples, showed the fitting of her clothes and waited for her approval. She asked sales associates what her customers wanted. Every month, Lontok met with colleagues from the other stands.

“While others were hibernating during the pandemic, Ms Criselda was adapting and innovating. From evening dresses, she pivoted to beautiful clothing to be worn at home. She always had the victor, not the victim, mentality,” said Donnie.

Castro added that Lontok found the business challenging at first. Formals and special-occasion clothing, including her label, were obviously not in demand. “She was quick to adapt to the behavior change of her customers. Her apparel shifted to lounge wear, kaftans with matching shawls and fashionable masks so that women still looked glamorous.”

In every collection, kaftans, sheaths with three-quarter sleeves, boatneck blouses, loose tunics and button-down polo dresses would appear in new colors and patterns.

Despite the lockdowns, Criselda Lontok remained the top grosser in Rustan’s’ private brands category. Loyal customers continued to buy eight to 10 pieces of a blouse or a dress in one pop. Some women would reserve many items in size 10, while others had a specific style customized according to their preferred fabrics and colors.

“Her brand was her reputation. She took care of it. Criselda was a good person,” said Castro.

People who knew Lontok will only talk about her virtues such as kindness and joie de vivre more than her fashion. Fernandez said he had imbibed some of his mother’s traits, such as her friendliness and joy. “She was very generous and she shared unconditionally. She loved to sing. I’ve been singing now more than ever.”