By Maggie F. Francisco
Gone are the days when wearing Filipiniana is limited to formal events. Patis Pamintuan-Tesoro tells us that a playful mix-and-match is all we need to create an ensemble that seamlessly fuses the old with the new
Every now and then, I have these talks with my mother about how life was like when she was growing up. And she would constantly reminisce about how simple life was back then. And more often than not, our conversations would touch on fashion—how her lola would always wear the traditional baro’t saya when they would go out and a casual kimona and patadyong when they would visit at home.
I could only imagine how it would be to dress up during those times. The effort of putting on that camisa made from piña with those bell-shaped sleeves, that floor-length saya, and that pañuelo or scarf, which acts like an accent piece with the embellishments or embroidery that’s seen on it. Wow!
These days, you’ll most likely see Filipiniana worn when there are events, from weddings to formal dinners to diplomatic meetings. It is a representation of our identity and our nationalism. But do we really need to wait to be invited to a themed event to wear such a thing? Beatriz “Patis” Pamintuan-Tesoro disagrees.
Modernizing the Filipiniana
Last January 18, Disenyo at Talento Talks, a thought leadership series pioneered by Tesoros, gathered media and guests at the Tesoros Philippine Handicrafts flagship store in Makati to listen to the “Doyenne of Philippine Fashion” herself talk about wearing Filipiniana in modern times.
“I was inspired by my French colleagues who told me, ‘You cannot bring tradition if it’s not contemporary,’” the 67-year-old designer reminisced as she began her talk. That statement made her think. She was told that tradition has to matter to people today. “They have to use it; they have to wear it. Otherwise, it’s nothing. The world has changed,” she added.
And she realized how true it was. The world has indeed changed. As a heritage conservationist, she told us how important it was to revive the Filipino dress because it is an important part of our being. To her, not being able to wear it (or worse—not knowing how to wear it) may lead to losing our identity.
If you don’t already know, our traditional clothing is known for its vibrant colors, unique embroidery, and eye-catching prints. While a lot of people tend to wear these clothing only the way it’s “meant to be,” Patis demonstrated how traditional pieces can still be used for everyday wear. She was not about to let people think that just because it’s traditional, it’s dated and costume-y, which is a common concern of a lot of people. “You put limits to yourself, which I think you shouldn’t,” she said. It’s all a matter of knowing how to mix and match.
During the showcase, she demonstrated how you can pair an embroidered piña top with a plain black sarong or a black and white kimona (with alibata printed on the top) with slacks for officewear.
For a more casual look, Patis showed how a simple white shirt can be partnered with a vibrant printed sarong-turned-skirt tied with a knotted belt to keep it in place. If you have a plain shift dress, Patis suggests you put on an embroidered vest and you’re ready to go.
If you have formal events, there’s no need to wear the whole terno. Accentuate a black backless gown with a woven manton de Manila (shawl) or layer a pañuelo over a long gown and you’re the sophisticated belle of the ball.
Conserving our Identity
During the talk, Patis opened the floor to her guests for questions. And people definitely took the opportunity to ask. One asked her what she thought about fashion design students who are very by-the-book in doing their designs. She answered, “To be a master, you have to learn from the masters of before. You cannot go modern without knowing the old methods. If you don’t know how to draw or how to cut the proper way, you cannot diverse. How can you go diverse if you don’t even know the basic?” Patis added that what these students should not do is hold back on the possibilities of the design. “Young ones should not be rigid.”
Talking about handcrafted designs, Manila Bulletin asked, "As you mentioned, embroidery is now a limited or a dying craft. How do we then bring this to mainstream?" Patis looked at the crowd and said, “Today, everything is expensive. And human labor is even more expensive. Yes, the craft is dying. People who do this craft are becoming less and less. How do we make this more affordable? I frankly don’t know. But there are people who have the talent to make it more affordable and reasonable. And those are the people we have to find—and they have to find themselves.” As an end note to that answer, she added, “You have to pay the craftspeople their due. They are creative, they are artists, and that’s what you’re paying for.”
Patis Pamintuan-Tesoro’s collection is available at Tesoros, 1016 Arnaiz Ave., Makati City. For more info, go to tesoros.ph, like tesoroshandicrafts on Facebook, follow @tesoroshandicrafts on Instagram