PHx Fashion Group in the Philippines
Collaboration with MaArte in Manila
Lilianna Manahan, Shining Star Earrings. Image courtesy of Lilianna Manahan and PHx Fashion Group.
This weekend, the PHx Fashion Group will take part in MaArte at The Peninsula Manila, a fundraising bazaar which benefits the Museum Foundation of the Philippines. Founded by in 2019 by designer Joseph Bagasao III and creative entrepreneur Esme Palaganas, with the support of art advocate Trickie Lopa, the PHx Fashion Group aims to support emerging Philippine fashion brands in gaining global reach.
The story of PHx Fashion Group
As industry acquaintances turned friends, Joseph, who owns ready-t0-wear brand BAGASÁO and Esme, who runs Basic Movement, often discussed the challenges of making a fashion business work. A recurring theme was the lack of information available for fashion entrepreneurs in the Philippines. Esme explains, “It was constant: frustrations of having not learned enough about fashion business, given that school is more focused on design, and while there are fashion and business conferences and videos, they may not apply to the Southeast Asian or Filipino perspective.”
Joseph concurs, “There is a pool of very talented designers in the Philippines but we lack the platform to help us better our business practices, especially if we want to penetrate the international market. There is an obvious information gap about running a business and being more prepared for the international stage.”
Esme and Joseph decided to take things into their own hands to fill this gap in information, and engage with their peers in the industry. From late 2016, Esme started organising events and fashion and business talks with Basic Movement Club, and hosting designer pop-ups in her design studio. It was also at a BAGASÁO pop-up showroom that Trickie, who was already a customer of Basic Movement, first met Esme in person, and together with Joseph connected over their collective desire to bolster the local fashion industry.
Esme Palaganas, Trickie Lopa and Joseph Bagasao III. Image courtesy of the PHx Fashion Group.
A key figure who gave shape to the PHx Fashion Group is fashion consultant Tetta Ortiz Matera, who realised Asian Fashion Meets Tokyo (Philippines), a showcase within Tokyo Fashion Week. In late 2015, she had invited industry professionals from Japan to meet with local designers over a casual dinner. This prompted the idea of making knowledge about breaking into the Japanese market more widely available. Joseph explains, “As a group, we have decided that it would be of great service to the industry if we can open it to more people and not just focus on our group, especially the young creatives that have a strong drive to better their brand not just in terms of design but also with business. Therefore, we decided to transform what was supposed to be a dinner table talk into a full fashion conference.”
The PHx Fashion Conference took place in November 2019. Over four days, best practices on a local, regional and global level were shared by fashion practitioners through workshops, panel discussions, creative talks and a portfolio review. Speakers included Amina Aranaz-Alunan, co-founder of SoFA Design Institute and an officer of the Fashion and Design Council of the Philippines, among other roles, and fashion designer Carl Jan Cruz.
Following the conference, the PHx Fashion Group continued on its path to assist designers in establishing a stronger presence outside of the Philippines. It worked with the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), the export promotion arm of the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), to run a mentorship programme with 12 brands, including BAGASÁO, to present at Tokyo Fashion Week.
What to expect from PHx MaArte in 2022
The group’s latest project, PHxMaArte, came about through Trickie’s connections with the art community. Together with Dindin Araneta and Lisa Periquet, she runs Philippine Art Events Inc, which owns Art Fair Philippines and Art in the Park. They were approached by the Board of Trustees of the Museum Foundation of the Philippines to run one of their key fundraising events, MaArte at the Pen, which has been running since 2009, but took a hiatus of two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trickie says, “PHx MaArte will acquaint the traditional MaArte customers with a new set of fashion creatives – still Filipino but looking beyond the traditional Filipiniana that MaArte has built its name on.” The creative match is mutually beneficial. Trickie elaborates, “For the PHx community, the event gives the brands an opportunity to reach beyond their current audience. The pairing has already given the event a buzz of excitement.”
The PHx Fashion group has selected 23 brands, representative of the contemporary Philippine fashion landscape to showcase their offerings in ten rooms on the fifth floor of the Peninsula Manila. These include: Alexie, BAGASÁO, Basic Movement, Café City Club, ec, Eustacia, Feanne, HA.MÜ, Jill Lao, JMakitalo, Jude Macasinag, Kelvin Morales, Land of Nod, Lilianna Manahan, Mich Dulce, Neil Felipp, nicolò, Randolf, Tropik Beatnik and VIÑA ROMERO.
BAGASÁO Spring/Summer 2022 Collection. Image courtesy of BAGASÁO and PHx Fashion Group.
Eustacia. Image taken from Eustacia’s Instagram.
As part of its aims to support the future of Philippine fashion, it is also working with fashion schools SoFA Design Institute and iAcademy, and the fashion department of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde to spotlight the work of their star graduates. Speaking about the selection process, Joseph explains the criteria, “It was based on the quality of garments, design sensibility, and potential”. He adds, “Potential because some of the brands are fairly new and we think that they would benefit from the experience and exposure that the event can provide. There is no better experience than being on the ground and trying to market their collections to potential customers.”
Kill Joy Studios, ‘Rotonda’ collection. Image taken from Kill Joy Studios’ Instagram.
Le Ngok showcase at Bench Fashion Week. Image taken from Le Ngok’s Instagram.
Le Ngok, Oneness Zipper Tote Bag & Multi Bag. Image taken from Le Ngok’s Instagram.
The remaining three brands are CLIO DL, Kill Joy Studios and Le Ngok. From De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, CLIO DL by Clio de Leon presents womenswear premised on juxtaposing opposites, such as feminine details with masculine silhouettes, and clean outlines with artistic prints. With Kill Joy Studios, Eugene Malabad, who recently graduated from iAcademy, features details observed from daily commutes such as jeepneys, trains and telephone lines. And Le Ngok by Jiale Zhang from SoFA offers experimental mixed-media designs handcrafted in the Philippines.
Historical fashion will also feature at MaArte. At the lobby of The Pen till 27 August 2022, Mark Lewis Higgins is curating an exhibition of nine dresses from 1952 to the early 1980s by Salvacion Lim Higgins, better known as Slim, a Philippine fashion designer and a National Artist of the Philippines. The exhibition runs for two weekends, till 27 August.
The State of the Philippine Fashion Scene
Along with its efforts in the past few years, the PHx Fashion Group sees the Philippine fashion scene coming into its own. Joseph shares, “I think more and more designers are breaking boundaries and thinking outside of the box in defining their language as a brand.” He comments on their confidence to experiment, “Designers are more aware of their potential not just here but also outside and it presents a good challenge to everyone.”
Indeed, there is a design language that is unique to the Philippines, which has become more distinct in recent years. “About five years ago, I noticed that local pop-ups started featuring clothes with more distinct silhouettes, less looking like big brand knock-offs,” recalls Trickie. “That was such a great development for me, so I started paying attention Ever since I can remember, wearing Filipino designers meant having clothes made to order.”
Ha.Mü. Image taken from Ha.Mü’s Instagram.
There is now a pivot to presenting their own visions. “These young designers, in contrast, presented their visions through collections and events, really the same way that artists unveil their exhibitions,” reflects Trickie. “As a patron and observer of the local fashion scene, I could sense the disruption in the last few years, a dynamism and energy bursting forth.”
There is more that can – and will – be done, especially from making use of what is available from the rich textile traditions of the Philippines. “I personally am excited to see designers develop and be more acquainted with our local textiles, not just weaves, but also fibres,” says Esme. Fibres used in the Philippines include the abaca from a relative of the banana plant, and the piña, from the leaves of the pineapple plant. “It is a long way to go but given that there are innovators in the textile industries, there's more that you will be expecting from this side of the world.”
It will take everyone working together to push the Philippine fashion community forward. “It cannot just be one person building an industry, says Joseph. “It is about the collective efforts of people who bring Filipino ingenuity to the global stage. It is about the people who continue to create a dialogue that puts Filipinos on the fashion map.” And the PHx Fashion Group is set to acquaint Philippine fashion designers with their local audiences and beyond.
Visit ’MaArte at the Pen’ from 19 to 21 August 2022 at the Peninsula Manila’s Ayala Wing from the 5th through to the 7th floor. ‘SLIM at the Lobby’ runs from 19 to 27 August at the lobby of the Peninsula Manila.
More information about the PHx Fashion Group here.