Top for Ria B.

BACKSTAGE look book

Backstage is the store in Manila where I sell my clothes. The owner, Stanley, was very kind to include me in the previous and current look book. They chose 2 of my pieces with metal tab embellishment. Do try to visit the store if you are in Serendra.

Robinsons Design Lab 2nd cycle

One of the biggest project I handled from my previous work was organizing a young fashion designer search. It was inspired by the wildly popular Project Runway, of which I am a fan. I also believed and really pushed for the project because I realized that a lot of young Ilonggos do dress up and do make their own little, nice clothes; those creative ones I see at bars and clubs around Cosmo-Iloilo.

It was hard, the selection and gathering of contestants. I must admit I was a little worried that time and thinking what if it will all flop. What if the kiddos produces so much crap? We had plenty of detractors telling us it will not work. Basta it was nakakaloka on my part because everything was my brainchild and I only had the support of my team. Of course, I had Bo with me all the way but generally his help was on the show part. The organizing meant I had to mobilize people in the office and also a lot of my friends. It also required a lot of bribing, hair pulling and acrobatics. Or variations of those, you get my drift. We had the first challenge, did a fantastic show, had a good season and closed the competition with surprising results. Everybody happy. Except our detractors, of course.

I'm happy to say that Design Lab 2007 has produced the next generation of Ilonggo designers who will carry on the legacy of their predecesors who made some contribution in the development and history of Philippine fashion. What kind of fashion is altogether another topic we shall discuss in some future entry. Names like Jor-el Espina (some Mega and Preview feature), Mary Rose Adelie Pacificar (Imagine fashion ed), Peer Lynelle Banas (has a cult following for his dark sensibility), Florad John Gonzales, Angelica Tan (big buttons and ribbons signature), Marvin Bana-ag and the rest of their batch are making some wonderful designs. There's nowhere to go but up.

The picture above features the new batch of Design Lab contestants. New faces, new voices, new fashion vocabulary to watch out for.

(The one in military green is Rofel, the host of Design Lab and the one in white is Bo Parcon, the resident judge and critic of the contest)

Disco Clown shirt: SS 08

Button covered shirt

Design: SS08 pieces

Buttoned shirt

Made this shirt for somebody I know.

The inspiration is New Orleans, clowns and silly thoughts.

It's kinda heavy to wear though with all the encrusted buttons.

'destruction of being' silk top

A new top I designed for a photoshoot with Preview Magazine. It's made of silk organza in green and irredescent purplish blue. It's a play on construction, volume and color.

front

back

Ria Bolivar in 'Destruction of Culture' creation

Ria in hand knitted oversize woven blanket 'thread' with fringed pants and metal accessories. Pieces will be used for a Mega Magazine photoshoot.

Saffron Spirit + Destruction of Being

My good friend Loven Ramos requested me to be part of his art exhibition, Saffron Spirit, at the U.P. Gallery. His direction was to make a covering for his artwork that can transform into clothing. I created a jacket + shirt hybrid and a dress + bolero hybrid.

My inspiration was the destruction of a square. The fabric is called 'color shadows', a tie-dye effect but only it is printed.

Layering at Jil Sander

There is something quite ethereal and delicate about the layering at Jil Sander which I find so fresh.

According to Tim Blanks of menstyle.com, Raf Simons wanted to achieve light or lightness. I do think he achieved it perfectly by using such translucent nylons and some organza blend.

Perfection and purity have always been the mantra of the label. It was always Ms. Sander's obsession. If you want a basic white shirt that is not just a basic white shirt I think you should invest in a Jil Sander.

There is that delicacy in the layering.

Don't you just love the softness and the color that changes because of the layering?