For the 8th incarnation of the famed Red Charity Gala, no less than legendary fashion designer Chito Vijandre staged a fashion tour de force on the catwalk.
When asked what took him to get back to designing, to producing a collection, Chito shares, “When Tessa Prieto-Valdes and Kaye Tinga broached the idea to me—‘Do you want to do it?’ I just had to say ‘Yes!’” Chito continues, “I was at my peak when I quit 30 years ago. I told them I wanted to create again. I wanted to get my creative juices flowing again. I miss doing this!”
And so it was fashion phantasmagoria for all the attendees that night, their eyes transfixed on the dizzying array of sartorial detail that spilled onto the silver mirrored stage. There were what seemed like Himalayan princess in ethnic chapeaus and pointed shoes. There were Spanish lasses in modernized mantillas and lace fans. A bevy of Belle Epoque gals in flapper dresses mixed with lady maharajas in feathered headdresses.
Chito’s interests in travel, history, race, and religious ornamentation all surfaced in his collection. “It is based on Philippine history. For example, the colonial components are based on the Galleon Trade. That’s why there’s a melange of different fabrics—from India, from China. This is because we were trading with these countries then. That’s why I referenced Spanish influences on our culture. But I tweaked it so you don’t only see Maria Clara sleeves.”
Guests at the ball like artist Tessa Alindogan declared, “It was the best show ever. I mean, it brings you to another time. It’s historical, it’s whimsical. It’s everything.” Chito responds to this and all the other congratulatory remarks by intoning, “Because clothes are about fantasy!”
If there is one thing his 40-piece standout Filipiniana collection did that night, it was to remind everyone exactly about what they’ve been missing from the fashion scene the past 30 years—Chito’s inimitable style pizzazz.
