Duality

And then she started becoming human. I loved it.

Fashion as Art in a Growing World

Just like the many things that are undeveloped in this poor, yet deceivingly optimistic country, fashion has become one of the things that feels like a luxury to think more about. To add a necklace, a ring, a bracelet, or even a choker to our outfits feels somewhat like a privilege as there are more pressing things to think about within the context of the Philippines. What about the bills? The rent? Hell, what about my non-existent occupation? Anything else that is not a shirt or jeans is being too excessive and we must only focus on the essentials; the vitals; the ones that would keep us alive and going.

Keeping this in mind, it then puts fashion in a tight spot, giving it little to no room to swing its arms without bumping into anything that would inevitably break. However, as human beings, it is inevitable for us to want to express something one way or another, and this leads to fashion brands, be it retail or start-ups, to come out of nowhere and to create clothing for all.

However, after the dawn of all these brands, something always didn’t feel right. One, maybe there’s too much silk. Two, pajamas again? Three, an affordable, yet glaringly disrespectful copy of clothes from high fashion brands? Granted, although these problems are rampant in the country, it’s also a problem that’s recognized all throughout the world. Although given that it’s a prevailing problem in the entire planet, it would appear that we suffer just as much as our neighboring countries, right?

Wrong. The Philippines, unfortunately, have always been behind in more ways than one could ever imagine, and fashion is one of them. A big problem for the world is an even bigger problem in the Philippines. And this notion of being behind hurts our understanding of fashion immensely.

One thing that makes fashion so underdeveloped in the Philippines is the lack of fundamental research when it comes to creating clothing. The common go-to of people when starting a fashion brand and “creating” clothes is that they resort to printing their designs on blank T-shirts and calling it a day. And although it gets the job done – a simple shirt with a design on it, all big fashion houses do it – it’s weak, uninspired, and surely can be pushed further. Fashion is more than designs printed on T-shirts. Fashion can be a vibrant scarf on top of a monochromatic outfit. Fashion can be a balikbayan box mangled and destroyed and turned into a skirt. Fashion can be a leaf over our genitals. Fashion can be anything and we must go beyond these cookie-cutter, quick fix ideas. There’s much to explore: the shape of the clothing; how fabric drapes over a slim build; the length of sleeves, and to settle with subpar designs printed on T-shirts feels wasteful and ridiculous, especially since fashion has so much more to offer.

Fashion is more than the world has set for it. It is unconventional in many ways and its limitlessness can be minimized into garments that is elegant yet wearable for the everyday Filipino. Just like any other paper published, every output one submits at the end of their shifts, research and thought is involved. Work that is not rooted in extensive research creates shallow, uninspired content. No wonder the discourse of fashion is weak in the country.

Another thing that makes fashion so weak in the Philippines is that it’s seen as a business more than anything. And although there’s nothing wrong with seeing fashion as a business, we have to remember that fashion, above all else, is an art form and should be recognized and respected as such if one wants to make substantial, effective clothing. Fashion cannot thrive if it’s built on such robotic processes. It plays with creativity, logic and sometimes the lack of it all intermingling to create something new. If we see fashion as an art form, we then let go of the idea that fashion is an instrument solely for making money. And although one can’t deny that it is to an extent, that was never the point to begin with. Fashion has, and always will be rooted in expression and that was its point from the very beginning. If you just want to make money, go do something else, and leave the creation of clothing to other people.

Where does fashion go from here? Especially in the context of the Philippines? Before anything, one should see fashion as an art form. What this does is that it opens people to creations that come from one’s will to express, in hopes of getting the wearer to express themselves as well in a multitude of ways. Too abstract? I agree. The next step is to figure out what the country is comfortable with and work from there, slowly inching to innovation in the long run. We can play with form as much as we want and at the same time, satisfy the needs of the people. From there we can continue to push the boundaries of fashion and create a community that sees it as a respected art form and push people to wearing what they want to express.

Fashion is not just a business – it’s a dialogue. A dialogue that goes well beyond written and spoken words – a dialogue that is worn.

I will always, always, irrevocably love you.
But you don’t need me,
and I’m completely fine with that.
I only ask that you give me a smile should we see each other again.

Thank you.
 

But if you’re not here, it’s probably boring
So I’ll wait for you until 2085 as I kill time

me me she by RADWIMPS

DIGITAL FAREWELL

We saw the sun set up north on a blazing hot snowy morning.

The Door

The gateway to a new road,
the path to forward.
You just weren’t the same ever since, dear door-
always been the same,
but never felt quite like it.
When and where did the change occur?
I can’t really tell.
You do your job well,
but why doesn’t it feel right anymore?
I remember how opening you felt;
that half-inch click,
the loud thud that followed.
You brought me to places,
entered and swallowed.
You never changed,
but I wish I could meet you again,
all the same,
but opened anew.

Retrospective

If there’s anything I’ve learned from writing,
it’s that the best language there is is not spoken or written down,
but rather, it is worn.