After presenting his rebellious collection “Kilusan,” Filipino fashion designer Thian Rodriguez now steps into the dark side with the unveiling of his latest work dubbed “Sanguis.” Presented at the Cyrsos Spring Glamour Fashion Show last Oct. 27, the collection centered on the designer’s current gloomy feelings, creative limbo, and his family’s experience.

“My ‘Kilusan’ collection revolved around my family's experience when my mom was falsely diagnosed with cancer. But this time, two months ago, my mom underwent another operation, she was diagnosed with Stage 2 Cancer,” Thian told Manila Bulletin Lifestyle. “When Jered Model Management approached me to be part of the show, at that time, I was creatively burned out. I’m not in a proper state, physically and emotionally, because I am a perfectionist. I always strive for perfection and I got tired.”

“Sanguis,” a Latin word for “blood,” aimed to present the dark phase every designer goes through in their journey. For Thian, mounting a runway show allowed designers to freely express themselves, to do whatever they wanted with their work, and to share their story, no matter how sad or uplifting it may be. “I want them to experience my design, to feel my journey—anxiety, depression, and uncertainties,” the designer mused.

Thian’s show started with a dramatic display, a muse pouring blood on a pristine white dress, a representation of a ritual. As the haunting chapel music played, his other muses remerged on the runway. For this collection, the designer worked with white, red, and black as his main palettes. He is known for his impeccable leatherwork, but what made it different from his past collections was the use of cotton, mesh, and knit materials as well as beadwork—a way for him to reinvent his style.

Among the highlights of his collection were his white pieces with delicate red crystal embellishments that look like drops of blood. Another stellar look that graced the runways was the red look with a cape made of leather vinyl cutouts paired with legging boots. Ending his runway show were two feathered ball gowns, which for him, represented the birds used as animal sacrifice for ancient rituals.

To complete the collection, Thian collaborated with accessories brand Elementari for the stainless chokers, rings, and metal mesh sculptures with pearls and stones. While local jewelry brand Mjorian crafted a stunning 24k necklace adorned with mother of pearl for one of his finale looks.

Thian described “Sanguis” as his most personal collection yet. It chronicled his life as an artist and served as his love letter to his loved ones, especially his mom. In creating the collection, he was guided by the statement “Life is precious but death is inevitable.” He hopes that through his runways show, people will see that the life of a designer isn’t all about just creating clothes.

“I want people to realize that as a designer, we also face personal issues as a son, as a family member, and as a creative,” Thian said. “Like the collection, we sacrifice everything to bring our visions to reality. It's not just about sketching and creating clothes. We put our everything when we design. I design not to please others. I design to please myself.”

Check out Thian Rodriguez’s “Sanguis” collection below:

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