Sustainble fashion exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum

The rise of fast fashion brands have made it easy for people to dress in the trendiest clothes at a fraction of the cost of signature brands. But of late, fast fashion has been getting a bad rap for unethical business practices and the harmful effects to the environment caused by their easily disposed clothes.

To address these concerns, the Embassy of Sweden in the Philippines, in partnership with Swedish fashion brands H&M Philippines and BabyBjörn, presents the Fashion Revolution: The Future of Textiles, an exhibit on conscious and sustainable fashion running from January 30, 2019 to April 30, 2019 at the upper galleries of the Metropolitan Museum of Manila.

The exhibit showcases the progress done in making the Swedish fashion industry more circular in both production and consumption. It aims to show how conglomerates, start-ups, consumers, and research centers in Sweden work together towards their goal make the industry fashionably sustainable.

Philippine opera and fashion join forces for Marawi

The top names in Philippine opera and fashion unite for the fundraiser Marawing Salamat – The Best of Opera & Fashion for Marawi happening this April 6, 2018, 8:00 PM at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater).

Presented by the Cultural Center of the Philippines, and Lyric Opera of the Philippines in cooperation with E. Zobel Foundation, Inc., this production will benefit the Duyog Marawi project of the Prelature of St. Mary’s in Marawi established by Bishop Edwin dela Peña together with Redemptionist missionaries.

Marawing Salamat – The Best of Opera & Fashion for Marawi, a twin bill production, will be under the general direction of acclaimed filmmaker Carlos Suigion-Reyna.

Soprano Mary Patrice Pacis and tenor Randy Gilongo with pianist Peter Porticos

The Best of Opera will feature arias from popular operas like Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca, La Bohème, and Turandot, Georges Bizet’s Carmen, Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata, and Rigoletto, Ruggero Leoncavallo’s I Pagliacci, and Charles Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette among others to be performed by an all Filipino cast from the Lyric Opera of the Philippines namely tenors Sherwin Sozon, Randy Gilongo and John Glenn Gaerlan, baritone Noel Azcona, sopranos Ana Feleo, Rica Nepomuceno, Mary Patrice Pacis, Ton Ton Pascual, and Naomi Sison. The UST Symphony Orchestra under the baton of guest conductor William Barkhymer will provide live music accompaniment for this portion.

Sopranos Naomi Sison and Ana Feleo sing while a model parade at the lobby

During the recent press conference held at the CCP, Siguion-Reyna said that he is currently working on tying up these arias together through a narrative thread and this is the biggest challenge for the opera part.

The Best of Fashion on the other hand will center on The Pomp and Pageantry of the Philippine Carnival Queens based on the concept and script of Zardo A. Austria and to be directed by Raymond Villanueva and Nathan de Leon. Fashion designers including Edgar Allan, Albert Andrada, Ronaldo Arnaldo, Eddie Baddeo, Delby Bragais, Tony Cajucom, Jing Chua, Steve de Leon, Peri Diaz, Toni Galang, Rocky Gathercole, Nolie Hans, Roland Lirio, Ricci Lizaso, Jojie Lloren, Edgar Madamba, Jontie Martinez, Ole Morabe, Richard Papa, Oskar Peralta, Lito Perez, Nardie Presa, Barge Ramos, Rholand Roxas, Renee Salud, Ditta Sandico, Edgar San Diego, and Fanny Serrano will have their Filipiniana designs paraded evoking the bygone era from circa 1908-1939 when the Carnival Queens captured the fancy and imagination of the Philippine public.

The fashion show will be serenaded by performances of well-loved kundimans, folk tunes and pop tunes by the UST Symphony Orchestra to be conducted this time by the group’s principal conductor Herminigildo Ranera.

The icons of Philippine opera and fashion will be given tributes too in this event. Opera legends Irma Potenciano, Fides Cuyugan-Asensio, Jose and Teresita Agana-Santos, Nomer Son, and Noel Velasco along with Philippine fashion pillars Ramon Valera, Jose “Pitoy” Moreno, Ben Farrales, Aureo Alonzo, Christian Espiritu, Joe Salazar, and Salvacion Lim-Higgins of Slims will be among those to be recognized this evening.

Those who want to relive the experience of this evening can get a copy of the upcoming book The Golden Age of Opera and Carnival Queens in the Philippines, written by Zardo A. Austria and designed by Marawi-born creative director Dopy Dopion, to be launched in July 4, 2018.

Opera singers, fashion designers, and models for Marawi

After all this music and pageantry, I do hope that everyone will not lose sight of those benefitting in this production, which is Marawi.