Philip Rodriguez, the finest practitioner of fashion in Cebu City, had a remarkable collaboration with the visual artist Jane Ebarle. The event, called Bisti: Art and Fashion Show, was part of the fourth Visayas Art Fair and the third Bodega Design Caravan in November.
In partnership with NUSTAR Resort and Casino and Robinsons Land Corporation, the launch and fashion show was held on 14 November at Level 2 of the upscale The Mall at NUSTAR Resort Cebu on Kawit Island, Cebu City, Cebu, while the exhibit was on view from 15 to 30 November. The purpose of the showcase, directed by Dexter Alazas, was to instill a lasting appreciation for Filipino and Cebuano heritage and culture, with Rodriguez presenting 22 haute-couture creations with Philippine themes and Ebarle unveiling 10 paintings inspired by the intricate patterns of traditional weaves.
“Our aim was to marry traditional arts and crafts to modern sensibilities so we could share it to the new generation,” Rodriguez revealed.
How the collaboration came to be
“The collab started when I saw Jane’s work on Facebook. She had an exhibit and I bought one of the pieces because it reflected the look I wanted for my room, which was ‘Abstract Filipiniana.’ I wanted a ‘Filipino Moderne’ look,” Rodriguez shared.
The encounter started in Camiguin. Rodriguez asked about Ebarle’s family name, which sounded familiar to him. It turned out it has roots in Mindanao.
“Plus, she used to be an ads and promo manager in the 1980s of Robinsons Department Store in Cebu, which was on the same street where my atelier was. Of course, she remembered my shop,” Rodriguez said. “So, ideas came up for possible collabs. And we would watch together some TernoCon presentations to inspire her.”
TernoCon is the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ convention and competition for Filipino designers focusing on the terno, the Philippine formal attire.
Ebarle’s recollections echoed Rodriguez’s: “Philip and I met on Facebook, of all places. But as you know, a lot of people naman really meet in Facebook. From there, Philip became my art collector. He is an owner of one of my Kawes series. Kawes is a Pangasinan word which means ‘dress’ just as bisti is its counterpart in Cebuano. Philip is also a collector of Hibla, my abstract painting which is an impression of a fabric. One day, he invited me to watch TernoCon with him. The designs of the ternos were so breathtaking that when Philip brought up the idea of an art and fashion show collab, I readily said yes!”
Rodriguez added, “We agreed that we will give each other a free hand in our works. After all, I have seen her lines and existing works. So, for my part, I just let my imagination flow. We had choices on our Cebu venue, but I believe NUSTAR fit our requirements. Elegant, intimate, a new and favorite destination in Cebu. Glamorous members of Cebu society came to the opening night, and I am so grateful. The crowd was overflowing.”
Ebarle lived in Cebu City for years. “I thought that it would be nice to go back and be part of the city again. That is aside of course from the fact that since Philip is organizing the show, it is just right to hold the show there to make things easier for his team,” she said.
Inspirations versus interpretations
Ebarle is a product of the University of Santo Tomas College of Fine Arts, with fashion designer Edgar San Diego as one of her classmates. She had to turn down a big art project just so she can focus on “Bisti.”
She also did not pursue another proposal from a property developer because she didn’t want any distractions. With a day job as a marketing consultant, which keeps her occupied in between painting, Ebarle had to properly manage her time.
“I’ve been hearing from my fashion designer friends that Philip is the Pitoy Moreno of Cebu City. It’s not only Philip’s creative energy that is so inspiring, it’s also the over-all human qualities that have made an impact on me that I admired him even more. Because of this deep respect for him, I trusted him very much with this collaboration,” she said.
“At first, I thought that he would want me to interpret his designs. It would be so challenging on my part, but I was prepared to do just that. But when he said that we will create themes separate from each other, it was a relief because it removed the pressure off me,” Ebarle revealed. “The launch itself was so successful that I felt so very lucky to have been part of the show. Philip organized every detail of the show so that it came out very well and because of ‘Bisti,’ I gained some art collectors from Cebu City.”
Fulfillment and upliftment
Rodriguez admitted to having jitters before the show because the last piece that was finished was the basketweave dress worn by his model, Kris Tiffany Janson, inspired by the flower farm up in Busay Hills of Cebu City.
“I am always intrigued by an ilustrado look. So, I did a multiple raya embroidery on my barong Tagalog worn by my muse, Sharuen Hafeel, complemented with pinstriped pants and highlighted with a leather and embroidered piña for his shoes done by Jane’s son, Rafael. To complete the gentleman look is a top hat. I believe this was the most formal wear during colonial times,” he shared.
Ebarle’s technique evolved during the preparation of her Bisti series.
She related, “There were styles which I never did before but materialized for the first time for this exhibit. It was supposedly a series of representations of our traditional terno done in abstract expressionism but there was an unfolding during the art production.”
“The Bisti ni Maria Clara and Bisti ni Karen were done acrylic on fabric but I made them into a collage form. They looked very real after I finished them. Before the show, I never painted flowers because I felt floral painting was not my cup of tea. But then I created Bisti ni Rosa, which I painted with wildflowers, and Bisti ni Carmela, with gumamela flowers,” she explained.
“So that transformation was very important for me because it showed that there are things I never did because I thought I cannot do them, but I was able to for this show. And yes, it was all because Philip Rodriguez challenged me so well in the most inspiring manner that I never felt the pressure but fully enjoyed and appreciated every moment I did every piece of the exhibit,” Ebarle enthused.