What’s next?

Next-gen fashion innovators explore identity, diversity, and sustainability in debut collections

BY AARON CABEZA

Jan 18, 2024 07:56 PM 

AT A GLANCE

• This year’s edition presents a retrospective of distinct organic visions, creative processes, and design possibilities that promise to take spectators on a temporal and spatial journey in the multiverse of fashion.

---

Sixty-two promising fashion innovators are set to demonstrate a fusion of artistry and imagination, as they explore the infinite diversity of identity and existence in their sustainable debut collections in "Sinulid 2024: Beyond Boundaries." 
The affair is the highly successful annual culminating event that showcases the knowledge, craftsmanship, and skills of the graduating Fashion Design and Merchandising (FDM) students of the School of Environment and Design (SED) at De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB). 

Look from Bida Collection by Andrei Valera

This year’s edition presents a retrospective of distinct organic visions, creative processes, and design possibilities that promise to take spectators on a temporal and spatial journey in the multiverse of fashion. 

Look from Sa Amoa - Garbo sa Gitago Collection by Joshua Mario Daryll Chiong

Meticulously conceptualized and handcrafted, each ensemble encapsulates the varied narratives and experiences of the budding changemakers. It likewise channels their advocacy to break expectations and addresses prejudices on being a designer in the modern era. 
 

Look from the Hunyango Collection by Kristine Mae Tayo

The show will include a range of ready-to-wear collections with pieces that weave human emotions and sensibilities and champion freedom and eco-feminism. It will even seamlessly blend the comfort and style of athleisure. 
Couture will likewise take center stage with scene-stealing looks that pay homage to tradition and capture the wonders of childhood memories. 

Look from The Unveiling Scene Collection by Janine Zabala

The series will also feature a cocoon-inspired maternity line that dares to challenge the stereotypical clothing options available to expecting mothers.
It will also feature childrenswear that transports wearers into the vintage glam of the ’50s. 
Also included are creations that delve into the idea of escapism and embody a sense of healing.
Menswear that captures the Filipino spirit and the art of music will be given importance.

Look from Unveiling the Mask Collection by Denise Adrianne De Leon

"Sinulid 2024: Beyond Boundaries" will open at The Atrium at The Podium on Jan. 26 at 2 p.m. The runway show, strictly by invitation, will commence at 5 p.m. at The Podium Hall. 
The gallery will run until Jan. 28.

The anti-anxiety guide

10 ways to live in the present

BY AARON CABEZA

Nov 6, 2023 06:20 PM

  

---

AT A GLANCE

• ‘Constantly thinking about the past and worrying about the future can make it difficult to enjoy the good things.’ 

How often do you find yourself brooding on what happened yesterday or what might occur tomorrow? 

 

Arlin Cuncic, MA, founder of About Social Anxiety, a handy website that offers assistance to individuals with social anxiety disorder, reminds everyone that dwelling on regrets or fears only hinders one to truly experience a happier, more fulfilled life. 

“Constantly thinking about the past and worrying about the future can make it difficult to enjoy the good things,” she says. 

 

The experts from the Benilde Well-Being Center (BWC) of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde agree. “These are aspects which we are unaware of that might affect our life and wellbeing,” they explain. 

 

Cuncic, who has worked in various mental health and research settings, including the psychology department of the University of Western Ontario in Canada and the cognitive-behavioral therapy unit of the Center for Addiction and Mental Health Multi-Health Systems, highlighted the importance of being in the present. 

 

“Learning how to be more mindful and live in the moment can give you a greater appreciation for your life, help reduce stress, and minimize anxiety,” added The Anxiety Workbook author. 

 

To guide the community to be more aware of themselves and their surroundings, the professionals listed top 10 tips, as shared through the award-winning mental health platform Verywell Mind. 

1. Notice your surroundings.

Take this opportunity to observe your environment. Close your eyes as you take a deep breath. Open them. Take in everything around you.

2. Focus on one thing at a time.

Do not multitask. When your thoughts drift or you check on your phone, stop. Turn that attention back to what’s in front of you. You are more productive when fully engaged.

3. Be grateful for what you have now.

Do not be absorbed in things you do not have. Instill gratitude. List the blessings you are thankful for. Review them on a daily basis. 

 

4. Accept things as they are and not how you want them to be.

Sometimes life is going to be different than how you want it to be. Acknowledge the things that are beyond your control.

5. Practice mindfulness meditation.

It improves your concentration on current tasks. It helps you recognize your thoughts and feelings.

6. Spend time with people who make you feel happy and fulfilled.

Surround yourself with positive and supportive family and friends.

7. Be mindful of everything you do.

Focus on the details of the activities that you are doing. It helps bring more present-moment awareness into your life.

8. Do deep breathing exercises.

Take slow regulated breaths to prevent feelings of negative thoughts or panic. It allows you to be more in control of your current tasks.

9. Take a break from social media and technology.

Continuously checking social media affects your ability to be present. Do not let technology take over. It prevents you from being sensible about what is really going on around you.

10. Get regular exercise.

A stroll in the park or daily yoga can help you stay more focused especially if coupled with meditation. 

Lighting the way for Filipinos

How many families are finding their way out of the dark

BY AARON CABEZA

Oct 11, 2023 10:03 PM

  

---

AT A GLANCE

• Let there be light. — Genesis 1:3 

IT’S LIT Families from Antipolo, Rizal receive rechargeable solar LED lanterns to help light their homes

It’s not unknown that Filipinos in different parts of the country still have no access to electricity.
Children have a hard time studying due to the lack of electricity, parents squeeze in chores during the day to utilize daylight, and families move around with more difficulty in the dark during the night. These remain a daily reality for families across the Philippines and continue to be a dilemma for many households.

For Panasonic, finding solutions to lived realities such as electricity inaccessibility is a challenge that needs to be taken on. In 2013, it launched the BG-BL03 Solar LED Lantern, a solar-powered rechargeable lantern that doubles as a charger for households that live without electricity daily.
 

Since its release, the lantern has become a major part of the brand’s efforts to better the lives of Filipinos. “The lantern was primarily developed by our headquarters in Japan as a means to provide awareness on the possible use of renewable energy,” says Panasonic human resources manager Mike Borja. “With the small lanterns and solar panels, a lot of homes will improve and will get better.” 

PARTNERSHIP FOR THE FUTURE From left: Antipolo Vice Governor Reynaldo San Juan Jr.,
Panasonic brand ambassador Gary Valenciano, Shining Light Foundation Inc. president and
chairman of the board Angeli Pangilinan-Valenciano, Panasonic president Kazuya Higami,
Panasonic executive director for finance and admin Atsushi Kozuma, and Panasonic director
Angelo Tamayo

This 2023, the brand is partnering with Shining Light Foundation to supply 150 families in Antipolo, Rizal with these lanterns. This partnership further highlights how carefully developed technologies can create opportunities, foster remarkable moments, and help improve people’s lives. It also marks five years since the successful completion of the company’s 100 Thousand Solar Lanterns Project, which brought the same lanterns to various communities across 30 countries. It also serves as an exciting continuation of this ambitious project to bring sustainable light to more Filipino families.

With the addition of the lantern to Filipino households, children can now study better, and families can move around more easily and live more comfortably in well-lit homes with electricity within their reach. 

How to style your barong

The national attire for men, just like the terno, is getting a makeover

BY AARON CABEZA

  

---

Gideon Hermosa

There’s a big dinner on June 12, Independence Day, and the dress code says “Creative Formal.” Although this phrase has been going around since 2015, it is still a bit of a conundrum every time it comes up on dinner invitations, especially to weddings.

The operative word is “formal,” which means jacket or, here in the Philippines, a barong Tagalog or long dresses for the women. To the purist, it is interchangeable with “Creative Black Tie,” which means tuxedo, but with allowances for flashes of whimsy, say, an orange bow tie, bright-colored shirt studs, or bright neon cufflinks.  But the purists are getting too old—and are finding it too tiresome—to keep checking whether or not the gentleman out there is keeping the bottom button of his single-breasted, three-button suit undone.

Marco Lobregat

On the homefront, the barongs, like the terno, are having a field day defying the rules, which kept them for a long time in the bottom of the baul or at the very back of the aparador, pulled out only for barrio fiestas, costume parties, or school activities like “Linggo ng Wika.” Now we are seeing it work on every occasion, and they’re looking more and more fun and fab—and stylish.

Kultura has of late expanded its collection of barong Tagalog and these modern-day gentlemen wear them in the style of the day, that is to say, anyway you like it, for any occasion, and everywhere. Here’s how you can play with your barong and imbue it with your own personality.

Jiggie Alejandrino

Experiment with color. Not all barongs should be in classic off-white. It’s very modern to wear it in a not-so-common color, like gray, such as the gray silk cocoon barong embroidered with callado accents that Gideon Hermosa, who has been cited as one of the “100 Most Sought After Wedding Planners and Designers” in the world, put on for a modern take, putting to good use his flair for fashion and eye for intricate detail.

Wear it cool. For a contemporary spin on formal wear, Chris Koon, the new Ateneo Blue Eagles co-captain, suits up in a crewneck piña silk barong, whose silhouette, tunic-inspired, flatters his athletic build. The design of the barong, with geometrics embroidered on the pechera or the front, exudes Filipino elegance, but true to his athletic style, he pairs it with a cool pair of kicks!

Jeffrey Crawford, Jr.

Dress it down or style it up. The modern barong can be dressed down, even if it’s in a luxurious fabric like silk cocoon. Gamer, content creator, and devoted family man Jeffrey Crawford Jr. gives his barong with geometric embroidery and a mandarin collar an unconventional, if renegade spin, by tucking it in and rolling up its sleeves. A pearl bracelet rounds up the look, giving it an androgynous flair.

Wear it like a coat. Producer, entrepreneur, and media personality Marco Lobregat wears a barong that isn’t like most others. It’s a barong, it’s a coat, it’s both. It’s the new modern classic coat barong, with a fully lined organza tailored like a jacket. It offers a whole new world of options to don the national attire for men, an exquisite choice for contemporary formal wear with a distinctive, unmistakable Filipino touch.

Isaac go

Wear it casual. The barong shirt gives the barong Tagalog more reason to be and it’s now stylish to wear it for work, for leisure, and for casual occasions. Emil Nandres, who was raised in the family barong business, prefers the shirt jack, paired with casual pants and sneakers.

Wear it with jeans. Why not? Take your cue from portrait and wedding photographer Jiggie Alejandrino, who gives his black and white coat barong a lot of plus points by pairing it with his favorite, workaday denim pants. It’s bold and refreshing!

Emil Nandres

Keep it simple. PBA player and basketball analyst Isaac Go keeps things low-key in this modern minimalist barong in snow organdy. With unfussy asymmetrical embroidery and a contemporary mandarin collar, it’s the perfect statement piece when he wants to look classy but not overly formal.

If there’s anything we can learn from these gentlemen, it’s this—Wear your barong, not the other way around. There’s a wide enough selection at Kultura to suit your personality and your personal style. kulturafilipino.com