Ken Samudio and Feanne Mauricio bring their wearable art to Japan
The Philippines flag is flying high in the international fashion scene thanks to Filipino creatives all over the world. Filipino couturiers Michael Cinco and Oliver Tolentino presented their visions for spring-summer 2023 in New York and Vienna, respectively. Fil-Am fashion designer Rhuigi Villaseñor made his debut as the creative director for swiss luxury brand Bally. Filipino fashion traveled next to the Land of the Rising Sun as Filipino design artists take the spotlight at Lifestyle Week Osaka 2022’s Philippine Fashion Showcase, from Sep. 29 to 30.
Leading the Filipino style presentation were fabric and print designer Feanne Mauricio and bags and accessories designer Ken Samudio. Philippine Fashion Showcase is a joint project between the Philippine Consulate General in Osaka (Department of Foreign Affairs) and the Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Osaka (Department of Trade and Industry). The project aims to promote both cultural diplomacy and trade relations via Philippine fashion. It also seeks to build upon the work of previous Philippine fashion initiatives in Japan such as PHXTOKYO 2021, which Feanne joined, and Mercedes Benz Tokyo Fashion Week 2015, which Ken joined.
For the Lifestyle Week Osaka 2022, Feanne presented some of her latest textile print designs that were applied on garments, wallpaper, and bags, as well as her recent collaboration with Portuguese brand GustoKo. On the other hand, Ken, who’s known for his signature marine-inspired works, brought to Japan his sea-inspired bags and jewelry. He also displayed a special capsule collection that includes clothing as accessories like embroidered bibs, scarves, and hats. Completing his showcase was his French tropical-inspired collection for his younger brand, Matthew & Melka.
“Most of my print designs take about a month to illustrate, and then another month or so to produce on physical items,” Feanne tells Manila Bulletin Lifestyle.
“My pieces being hand-embroidered can take weeks from conceptualization up to final products as each piece is sewn by skilled artisans entirely by hand,” Ken muses.
For the two fashion creatives, showcasing their works again in Japan is a great opportunity, especially during our pandemic-new normal milieu. It is an understatement to say that the local fashion industry was challenged during the height of COVID-19 in the country. And having the chance to present at Lifestyle Week Osaka 2022 not only open more doors for their businesses, but also for the Japanese market to see the potential of the Filipino fashion industry.
“I hope that our Japanese viewers can appreciate the diversity of aesthetics present in the Filipino design scene,” Feanne says. “Hopefully, my work is somewhat different from what they've seen before.”
“I would like my work to show that Filipino design is highly artistic, sustainable, and valuable in terms of craftsmanship, style, and taste,” Ken adds.
Check out their works at Lifestyle Week Osaka 2022’s Philippine Fashion Showcase's cocktail reception at Conrad Hotel Osaka:
Hello, readers! Do you have a story you want us to feature? Send us a message on Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, and Twitter and let’s talk about it.