As a fan of Dingdong Dantes, I was interested in his new TV series, Master Cutter, not so much for its promise of action, crime and punishment, as for how he would interpret the character of a tailor, how he would handle guns and bullets versus how he would sew with needle and thread.

That’s because, once upon a galaxy many years ago, I had a good friend in the person of a tailor, a real master cutter, who happened to be my almost-next door neighbor in Malate. I don’t know if, like the Dantes character on TV, Myther Buñag the tailor turned into another person/personality at certain times of the day (or week). What I am sure of, then as now, is that Myther enjoyed playing host at lunchtime every Thursday in his shop, which was also his residence. His clients were his guests, his guests were his clients, and they included government officials, some of whom would occasionally bring food like lechon or seafood to add to the festive atmosphere.

Being a ka-Pampangan, it was Myther’s pride and pleasure to declare now and then if the lunch was courtesy of his mother, a great cook.

Among his more-or-less regular guests was a small group of ex-journalists, including J.V. Cruz, who became our ambassador to London; Adrian Cristobal, who headed a think tank for the first President Ferdinand Marcos; Nestor Mata; and Andy del Rosario, who would later become ambassador to Budapest. Other regulars were Potenciano “Nanoy” Ilusorio and Dr. Romualdez, a cousin of Mme. Imelda R. Marcos, the first lady.

Myther’s strict rule was: “No PRO’s.” And, come to think of it, no photographers.

Before he moved to Malate, Myther was master cutter for a famous – branded! — tailoring shop in Makati. When he quit to set up his own shop, he chose to locate it at Remedios Circle, where reigned the most famous fashion designers of the time. The Circle became even more famous when Cory Aquino became President. Her couturier of choice was Auggie Cordero, who captured her personality with clothes that were lady-like and no-nonsense, no frills and ruffles.

Today, around the Circle, Mike de la Rosa’s atelier appears to be the only survivor of an age long gone.