In our exclusive chat with seasoned international fashion designer Renee Salud, he said that for the SoNA 2024, he prepared a unique creation for Tingog Partylist Rep. Jude Acidre and wife, Thai national Neung Khattapan Acidre.

Mama Renee showed us his beautiful sketch where the Philippines meets Thailand in one beautiful formal dress.

“Ang inspiration is fusion ng Thai material and Mindanaoan indigenous material. Why Thai material? Because the wife is a Thai National, so I used Thai Silk on top tapos ‘yung pang ibaba ginamitan ko ng inaul from Maguindanao (It’s a combination of Thai silk and Maguindanaoan materials),” Renee said.

With a long and colorful career in fashion, Mama Renee shared his thoughts on the evolution of SoNA fashion he witnessed from the late eighties to the present.

“Actually may evolution naman. Napansin ko noong una masyado naka-focus sa puro glitters, puro expensive fabrics from abroad. Ngayon napansin ko they adhere to advocacies, ngayon ng maraming designers to wear local. Napansin ko din na marami na nagsusuot ng short dresses made of local materials like mga abaca, piña, inabel, tinalak. Those are the fabrics ang madalas na nakikita mo sa SoNA (Now its more on local fabrics and use of local materials unlike decades ago wherein designers used expensive imported fabrics),” he added.

The veteran fashion designer agrees that the SoNA is an annual fashion event that society is looking forward to attend.

“I must agree that every year that there is a red carpet event. ‘Di ko alam kung ito ay masasabi natin na in good taste na magsuot ng maga-garbong damit ang ating public officials, at i-flaunt nila sa media at habang ang mga tao ay naghihirap ‘di ko alam (It should be done in good taste, but some misinterpret the SoNA),’” he said.

But on the side of fashion, the SoNA red carpet is also a big platform to promote and push our local creations and materials.

“For me as a fashion designer nakaka-contribute ito sa imahe ng Philippine fashion industry and at the same time napo-promote din ang Filipino products and materials pero siyempre kailangan magpakita din sila ng kaunting humility. ‘Wag masyado napaka-garbo kasi maraming mga Filipinos ang nao-offend kapag nakaka-kita sila na marami sumasala sa oras ‘di kumakain and here comes the public officials na binoto nila na nagsasaya nagdiriwang na may suot na magaganda (On the good side it promotes Filipino fashion but we must also show humility),” he said.