WHILE Yves Saint Laurent only had to focus on the geometric abstract paintings of Piet Mondrian, Jesus “Jojie” Lloren apparently was inspired by the vast archives of Filipino visual artists from the 19th century to contemporary times.
In the sixth edition of the Red Charity Gala, the fund-raiser for the Philippine Red Cross and the Assumption High School Batch 1981 Foundation of socialite-philanthropists Kaye Tinga and Tessa Prieto-Valdes, Lloren paid fine tribute to world-class Filipino artists, just like the designer himself.
Supermodel/photographer Jo Ann Bitagcol opened the show at the Rizal Ballroom of the Makati Shangri-La in a masculinized ensemble inspired by the Juan Luna 1892 oil on canvas impressionist painting, The Parisian Life, which was bought by the Government Service Insurance System for P45.4 million.
Quite apropos, since Bitagcol is Lloren’s muse and good friend, and she spent time with him in Paris when he studied at the Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de La Couture Parisienne after he won the grand prize at the Concours International des Jeunes Createurs de Mode in Paris in 1998. When he returned to the country, Lloren’s ascent to the top of Philippine fashion was inevitable.
Closing the show—directed by the brilliant Ariel Lozada, exquisitely styled by Noel Manapat and beautified by Patrick Rosas—was supermodel Ria Bolivar, in a column gown inspired by Lee Aguinaldo’s Linear 95 (1969). The acrylic on marine plywood painting, which is part of the Cultural Center of the Philippines Collection, comes closest to the Mondrian works that inspired YSL.
With the most important gala in the country, Lloren has shown what 25 years in the fashion business has done to his astonishing talent. His range is stupefying—from sleek skirts to flowing gowns, from crisp shirts to smart blazers, from slim pants to fancy trousers.
“[The process in creating the 40-piece collection] was madness. I knew I had to deliver. I had to finish pieces right away but then, you know, ideas don’t come automatically. I just had to wait for that and usually they come at the last minute,” Lloren said backstage after the gala. “I had to change six pieces, like the Amorsolo [piece]. With the Arturo Luz [piece], the beadwork was done three times,” starting with beads, then zippers and finally feeling satisfied with pearls.
In between the Luna and the Aguinaldo, Lloren also gave an haute-couture flourish to cubist, surrealist and expressionist Ang Kiukok’s Fruit on Table (1975), first Filipina abstractionist Nena Saguil’s cosmology of dots, Cesar Legaspi’s cubism, Alfonso Ossorio’s abstract expressionism, abstract minimalist Arturo Luz’s Imaginary Landscapes (2011), and Gus Albor’s Untitled oil on canvas (2005). Though she was celebrated for her vibrant colors, Pacita Abad’s Filipina: A Racial Identity Crisis (1990), made of acrylic, handwoven cloth, dyed yarn, beads, gold thread on stitched and padded canvass, was given Lloren’s subdued, sublime and impeccable treatment.
Lloren didn’t collaborate with any living artists. “I consulted with Boots Herrera, who’s with the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Ateneo de Manila University, and Albert Avellana [of the Avellana Art Gallery]. They are art experts and they taught me about the painters—what’s their style, what are they known for? There was a time I went to the Metropolitan Museum, and Boots was there” to educate him about the artists, shared Lloren, a B.S. Clothing Technology graduate from the University of the Philippines Diliman. From the artists that inspired him, Lloren said that he owns one from abstractionist Lao Lianben and another by interdisciplinary artist Lexygius Calip. With his eye and empathy, Lloren captured quite remarkably the essence of the works of the artists he chose to pay homage to. “[I was aiming for] how I perceived the painting, or how the painting touched me or affected me, or sometimes I would ask, ‘What’s his style?’” Lloren intimated. “Also, I had to research through the Internet and books, and interview Boots and Albert, particularly about paintings.”
“[Jojie’s work] is seemingly simple but his tailoring and sewing details can only be achieved by expert pattern makers and expert craftsmen,” said Lloren’s mentor, the legendary designer Christian Espiritu. “He joined me when I was already into ready-to-wear. So there was very little creativity involved but he was very quiet and industrious. When I came to see his first collection on his own while visiting from New York, I was so amazed at the great improvement. I’ve seen more collections from him since and he has been consistent.”
Lloren has presided over the Young Designers Guild and the Fashion and Design Council of the Philippines. He is still busy designing for Rustan’s ready-to-wear label Jill and Luna. As the mentor on Project Runway Philippines, someone who encourages cohesiveness in creating collections, finding a unifying element among his Red Charity Gala creations proved daunting for the mild-mannered designer.
“It was very challenging. I had to come up with distinctly different pieces so I had to use all the techniques I know without resorting to painting or dyeing the pieces,” Lloren explained. “I had to combine colors, fabrics, textures and materials. I had to experiment a lot with beading, sculpturing and even laminating.”
The designer’s efforts, needless to say, paid off in the most breathtaking fashion.
C. Mendez Legaspi
Image credits: Alex van Hagen