Sona: Not a fashion show?

To step away from the norm” is the reason behind the dress code required from those who are attending the first State of the Nation Address (Sona) of President Rodrigo Duterte, incoming Finance Department spokesperson Paola Alvarez said.

While the female attendees have the options to wear knee-length Filipiniana dresses, guests are only required to wear “business attire.”

I fully understand the new administration’s objectives in chopping off the unnecessary, but if this is a way of encouraging politicians to opt for reasonably-priced garments for the occasion, this is not the way to address it. A budget range, not a simpler dress code, must be imposed because a business suit may be even more expensive.

For example, Leyte Fourth District Representative Lucy Torres-Gomez could either wear a black Stella McCartney suit that could cost more than P20,000 without us noticing it due to the designer’s minimalist approach or she could ask Mark Baumgarner to custom-fit a lace terno gown at P8,000. Thus, with the mileage that Baumgarner would get out of the occasion, Torres-Gomez might avail it for free.

Yes, the core of the Sona should be Duterte’s plans for our country; however, it could also be a platform to showcase upcoming Filipino fashion and creative talents because certainly, it will be covered by both international and national media.

It does not hurt that even in a political event we give the world a peek at our garment industry’s advancements and our capacity to evolve along with the technology now applied to dressmaking.

Sen. Loren Legarda is known for wearing Philippine-made materials. In 2015, she wore an oversized bib necklace from Bontoc and Inglot chandelier earrings that matched a sash made of indigenous fabrics. In 2013, she coined the term “fashionalism” out of the words fashion and nationalism.

Apart from celebrities, political figures can also promote creative workers. Since Michelle Obama wore the lime trench coat and dress that Isabel Toledo customized for her for the inauguration of her husband, US President Barack Obama, Toledo has become a worldwide brand.

She had been designing dresses before, but profit started to shoot up after the occasion; it’s almost the same case with Jason Wu when Michelle wore his long gown to a gathering at the White House.

And notice the number of Davao-based fashion designers who were willing to donate clothes to Duterte for his inauguration last June. It was a sign that they have acknowledged his influence as a marketing possibility.

For eight years as fashion journalist and stylist in Manila and Cebu—a few of my reports appeared in the lifestyle section of Cebu Daily News—I have a complete grasp of the fashion community in this country: assembling fashion editorials, interviewing designers, to interpreting collections to readers and consumers. While I do not speak on their behalf, I have felt their struggle.

They succeeded tremendously if looked at a scale of a privately-owned establishment, but as a brand, they hardly hit it. They could have reached greater heights, especially the young and the upcoming, if they were given the same attention designers from neighboring countries with strong government support such as Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore enjoy. The state heads provide key people, financial assistance, scholarships and business education to usher designers to the international spotlight.

In the last three years, there is less empowerment among local fabric weavers, native accessory makers and designers. When I was completing a course at the School of Fashion and the Arts in Makati City, I noticed that trade fairs did help us. What we also need from the government are upgraded training venues.

I recently received my National Certificate II in Dressmaking from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority in Minglanilla. The high-speed sewing machines we were using were already old. I am not even sure if they were still relevant.

Tie-ups with giant brands and buyers would also augment the growth of the business, especially in Cebu that high-end lines (Zara, Top Shop, Pull and Bear) are now coming in. I would like to suggest to the local government unit to regulate collaborations between local artisans and these companies.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg initiated a design contest during the recession in 2009. The Post reported: “The mayor will stage a competition to pick 12 up-and-coming designers for a city-sponsored fashion ‘incubator’ facility. The project is aimed at helping New York attract young talent by providing cheap design space.”

President Duterte has my support in streamlining social occasions into what is only essential, but I do hope he will not dismiss the fashion community as something less important. After all, there is an industry behind every dress: seamstresses, bead workers, embroiderers, tailors, master cutters, quality controllers and office staff who could also be breadwinners. These functions can propel careers of fashion designers.

At the Oxford Union of Oxford University, American Vogue (the largest international fashion magazine) editor in chief Anna Wintour remarked about how society has been dismissive of fashion due to its frivolity, saying: “It is important to come out very strongly in favor of the fact that this is an enormous business that employs millions and millions of people all over the world. Yes, there is a glamorous and extremely pleasurable side to it but also, it’s very hard economics.”