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Manila Bulletin devider Lifestyle devider Fashion and Beauty devider De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde forges ties with Slim's Fashion and Arts School

De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde forges ties with Slim's Fashion and Arts School

How the legacy of National Artist for Design Salvacion Lim Higgin will live on through the college

Published Sep 5, 2025 10:40 pm
IT'S OFFICIAL Mark Lewis Higgins and Br. Edmundo Fernandez FSC sign the official turnover of Slim's Fashion and Arts School to De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde
IT'S OFFICIAL Mark Lewis Higgins and Br. Edmundo Fernandez FSC sign the official turnover of Slim's Fashion and Arts School to De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde
Slim's Fashion and Arts School first found its start in 1960 after Salvacion Lim Higgin founded it alongside her sister Purificacion Lim. Since then, it has trained generations of Filipino fashion icons who have made waves as far as a global scale. Among Slim's notable alumni are designers Oliver Tolentino, Jo Ann Bitagcol, Joe Salazar, Oskar Peralta, and Michael Cinco, to name a few. Now, Slim's Fashion and Arts School faces a bold direction as it finds itself under the helm of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB). This momentous milestone comes just in time for its 65th anniversary in October.
FASHIONISTA ICON National Artist for Design Salvacion Lim Higgins at work, photographed by her daughter Sandra in 1983
FASHIONISTA ICON National Artist for Design Salvacion Lim Higgins at work, photographed by her daughter Sandra in 1983
During a special turnover ceremony held at the college last Sept. 4, 2025, Mark Lim Higgins, the son of Salvacion, was present for the sign-off. To be turned over to the DLS-CSB are over 300 dresses, several books collected by the school, and even those from Mark's personal collection, magazines centered around fashion, with some dating as far back as 1939, and many more from the institute's archive. Some of which are already housed at the Benilde Fashion Museum (BFM). It's a fitting choice, noting how the first-ever fashion bachelor's degree program found its start at the college's Fashion Design and Merchandising Program.
WILD STYLES Outfits by DLS-CSB Fashion Design and Merchandising alumni
WILD STYLES Outfits by DLS-CSB Fashion Design and Merchandising alumni
"When we decided to be the new custodian of Slim's, what we really wanted was to relaunch Slim's because it is a good school and it has potential," shares Benilde president Br. Edmundo Fernandez FSC. "Slim's gift is its technical expertise, which, in a sense, our Fashion Design and Merchandising doesn't have. That's one major advantage, hoping that those who study with fashion design will have a venue now for proper technical training." It's worth noting that Slim's patternmaking curriculum is unique and is copyrighted, registered as "Slim's Method."   
Physical classes are expected to begin in January 2026, while online courses will be available as early as November 2025. The college will retain the courses offered under Slim's curriculum (Dressmaking, Bespoke Tailoring, Fashion Illustration, and Draping) while introducing new courses (Textile Series, Fashion Business Series, and Styling). 

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