Is there a constant thing in fashion? Each day, we find ourselves looking at the next it-item, drooling over the latest looks on the runway, and even the way we shop has changed through the years. This inevitable change doesn’t just apply to pieces and designs, people working in the industry go through it as well as they shift hats to expand their creativity. Perhaps that's the only thing constant in fashion---creativity. And we'll never get that on a regular basis if the movers of the industry aren't brave to embrace change. Jo Ann Bitagcol
A testament to that is Jo Ann Bitagcol's journey in fashion. She started out as one of the top muses of the industry, posing in front of the camera and gracing the runways with her poise and elegance. Soon enough, she picked up the camera and immortalize beautiful moments and objects, from ballet dancers in motion to vintage pieces with many stories to tell. In 2019, Jo Ann added another feather to her hat as she unveiled a series of satin scarves bearing her images of vintage pieces typically hidden in grandma’s wooden chest. From that point, she became a designer.  Her maiden collection, dubbed "Baul," featured images that were outtakes from the book Fashionable Filipinas. According to Jo Ann, it was authors Gino Gonzales and Mark Lewis Higgins who "paved the way for the first scarf prints to come to life."  "I wanted to sell my photographs, but on a different medium," she says. "So, I thought I would translate them into wearable art pieces that are functional.”  'Tita' sweater; 'Ate Fashionista' lace and silk dress
This time, as she celebrates her fourth year as the designer behind her brand Bitagcol, Jo Ann looks at her first collection as the source of inspiration and presents the "Tao" line. The latest collection is composed of scarves, shirts, baro tops, robes, wrap dresses, and pina dresses imbued with her images of Gino's vintage assemblage positioned to make endearing female Philippine characters. Think of it as a fashionable take on pareidolia, only made more distinct and beautiful with Filipino traditional accessories.  “Gino had a great idea of adding other elements to bring these characters to life–a spoon ladle, hats, and small baskets," Jo Ann says. "As we experimented with the forms we created, we began giving them names like lola, lola chef, ate, ate fashionista, tita, and tita madame.”  'Ate' scarf; 'Ate Fashionista' wrap dress
Jo Ann also mentions National Artist, cartoonist, illustrator, and painter Mauro Malang as a focal point of inspiration. His works, such as "Three Women" and "Mother and Child," helped the designer to explore "more abstract, contemporary ways of presenting the Filipina today." Much like Jo Ann's past collections, "Tao" perfectly presents Jo Ann's take on modern Filipino wear beyond the molds of terno and barong tagalog. It merges the vintage (Filipino trinkets) with the new (digital photography), creating new looks that celebrate local heritage.  'Tita Madame' baro top; 'Ate' wrap dress
One of Jo Ann's signature design elements is making her pieces gender-neutral. Versatile and meant to be worn by everyone over and over again, each piece features various tao prints layered, mixed, and matched to go from day to night. "This is my take on being sustainable," Jo Ann tells Manila Bulletin Lifestyle. "When I purchase an item, I make sure that I can wear them several times on different occasions. I applied that to my work. It has to last for several years." *Learn more about Jo Ann Bitagcol's "Tao" collection by visiting Rhett Eala's store in Greenbelt 5 in Makati City.*  *Hello, readers! Do you have a story you want us to feature? Send us a message on* [*Facebook*](https://www.facebook.com/ManilaBulletinLifestyle)*,* [*Instagram*](https://www.instagram.com/manilabulletinlifestyle/)*,* [*Tiktok*](https://www.tiktok.com/@manilabulletinlifestyle)*, and* [*Twitter*](https://twitter.com/MBLifestyle) *and let’s talk about it.*