Fashion designers Neil Patrick Jimlani and Mark Joseph Sayad reimagine National Living Treasure Magdalena Gamayo’s inabel tapestries into modern Filipino wear
The culture of the Philippines’ northern region made its way to the south as the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) unveiled the “Panaglaga Ti Ladga: Weave Transcending Time,” a Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA) fashion exhibition dedicated to celebrating the life and works of Ilocano master weaver Magdalena Gamayo.
A collaboration between the NCCA, the City Government of Davao, and SM Lanang Premier, “Panaglaga Ti Ladga: Weave Transcending Time” aims to bridge the knowledge of indigenous weaving traditions and innovation as it significantly underscores the need to enhance the resilience of the ties that link traditions and modernity. It celebrates both Magdalena’s legacy as a cultural bearer and Davao City’s thriving fashion scene.
“Davao City, for so long, has been doing fashion infused with Mindanao textiles,” NCCA’s executive director Oscar Casaysay said. “We have to strengthen the ties between the South and the North. [With that,] we focused on bringing the Northern cultural communities to Davao in time for its celebration of the Kadayawan Festival.”
For the event, the NCCA tapped two of Davao City’s emerging designers, Neil Patrick Jimlani and Mark Joseph Sayad, who reimagined the inabel tapestries of National Living Treasure Magdalena Gamayo into wearable art, in accord with the respectful treatment of indigenous expressions. Their collections were showcased at the mall’s atrium on Aug. 20, with TV host and former beauty queen Nicole Cordoves closing their runway presentations. Both hailed from the Tausug tribes, Neil and Mark described the first time working with inabel fabric as challenging and fulfilling.
‘Molino Ti Angin’
Neil looked at Ilocos Norte’s Bangui Wind Farm as his inspiration for his collection. Dubbed ‘Molino Ti Angin,” presented modern Filipino wear and resort wear for men and women in shades of blue and red. The collection is his way of paying homage to the stunning windmills that adorn the Bangui shoreline.
Present in his collection were the inabel textiles with binakol and impalagto techniques, which were utilized to bring out the intricate designs of the cat paw pattern, known as paddek pusa, and the beautiful inubon a sabong or the string of flowers that earned Manlilikha ng Bayan Magdalena Gamayo the well-deserved award.
One of our favorite pieces from his collection was the maroon dress with an asymmetrical hemline that’s lined with fiery orange beading and tulle flounces. Another stand-out look was his take on the butterfly sleeve, which he incorporated into a jacket for men. Last was his finale look, worn by Nicole, a one-shoulder pale blue terno trumpet gown with delicate beading and kisiskos inabel.
‘San Pedro Cathedral’
Putting his Roman Catholic faith on the runway was Mark with his collection inspired by the San Pedro Cathedral. A known landmark in Davao City, the church has beautiful architecture, which heavily influenced the designer’s collection.
Mark used GAMABA Magdalena’s inabel to make modern formal wear, from elegant gowns to suit ensembles for men. The intricate pinalagtwan and kahonado, as well as the timeless binakol kusikos, were made into contemporary pieces with geometric embellishments.
The highlights of his collection were the gray oversized dress coat with binakol kusikos pattern, the bags made of inabel, and the deep blue halter gown with geometric weaving worn by Nicole.
The pieces from the two collections, as well as the art of other GAMABA awardees, are on display at the “Panaglaga Ti Lagda: Weave Transcending Time” exhibit at the mall’s atrium until Aug. 25.
Banner photos courtesy of SM Lanang Premier and NCCA.
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