On the cusp of her landmark show for the Red Charity Gala, Lulu Tan-Gan gives us a sneak peek of her collection, delves into the significance of uplifting communities, and reflects on why Filipino fashion is here to stay.
With the Red Charity Gala just around the corner, a visit to the Tan-Gan atelier reveals a space percolating with creativity. It is here where Lulu Tan-Gan is being photographed for the Lifestyle Asia cover amidst swathes of piña fabric, herself the perfect muse to the meticulously crafted ensembles she creates. Out of frame, her staff continue on their tasks, sewing garments surrounded by racks of toiles and the brand’s archival pieces. Somewhere, Lulu’s daughter Jessica is taking behind-the-scenes videos, while hyping her mom as the designer moves gently through various poses.
Epitomizing both modernity and a respect for time-honored craft, Lulu established her design firm in 1985. Her designs encapsulated the zeitgeist, appealing to the jet set who were drawn to the style and versatility of her knitwear. Her innovative approach made her brand popular both here and abroad, eventually earning her the moniker “Queen of Knits.”
Midway through her career, Lulu developed an affinity for piña, with it now forming the majority of her repertoire. “The ethereal beauty of the material is what attracted me to piña,” she shares of the ecru fabric painstakingly woven from pineapple fibers.
She has, however, made it a point to turn convention on its head. “We are redefining its personality, or its presence. I would like to think it is a very luxurious material,” she explains. “But, of course it takes design to make it relevant. So it is important for us designers to find ways to innovate anything old, or anything craft.”
Crafting Possibilities
Inspired by a long-standing desire to explore and expound on the many “harmonious possibilities” of piña, Lulu embarks on creating her upcoming collection. “I would call it crafting fashion,” she conveys. “Crafting because we really apply craft into our designs.”
It is a story that perhaps originates from the weavers of Aklan, who are mostly women. They would weave, as their forebears had, in blocks of time in between caring for their families or doing chores. It is time-consuming and yet honored work. And recently, UNESCO recognized it as part of its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Cognizant of this, Lulu has always chosen to cut the patterns herself, ensuring each piece is exactly as it should be. It is also where her designs truly come to life. “I think the important part that I have to be really involved in is the cutting part. Because I think that’s where I innovate,” she says.
From the foundation pattern, Lulu experiments, organically sculpting the diaphanous fabric into playful and contemporary silhouettes. “When you’re involved, when your hands are actually involved, it becomes an accidental process when you are touching it,” she says of how most of her designs come to be. “Spontaneously your hands move, your eyes, and your mind [are] creating.”
At times, they start with a sample in jusi, which roughly mimics the feel of piña. Other times, they go straight to the real thing. She carefully considers each step in the process, involving many nimble hands that take Lulu’s idea to its final, fashionable expression. “And you see the softness, the beauty of the material,” she opines.
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Tradition Meets Innovation
Recalling how piña had been predominantly relegated to ceremonial wear when she started, Lulu believes her work is able give people new perspectives on this material. “You can make different designs, it doesn’t always have to be the traditional piña that you know. If you see this, you won’t even think it’s piña,” she shares, showing us a voluminous halter top from the upcoming collection. “It’s really like giving it a new image, a new life.”
Indeed, while most people associate piña with its natural color, embroidered with florals and curlicues in barongs and Maria Clara gowns, Lulu’s piña is decidedly modern. She infuses them with color, weaves them with stripes, smocks and pleats them, or assembles them into collages. “I’ve tried everything now,” shares Lulu.
For the Red Charity Gala, she’s eager to continue her creative explorations, while also sending a message of unity. Conveying a symbolic bridging of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, she has taken inspiration from each region. “So for the north, we use Kalinga print, which is a wood print,” she says, referring to piña handblocked with traditional patterns inspired by wood carvings. “The other one that has more curved lines, that’s Mandaya from the south, from Mindanao. You will see this carving in their bamboos. And then the Visayas is where piña comes from.”
She intersperses her piña pieces with ones made of colorful woven fabrics from Baguio, which is also where she attended her final year of high school. She makes it a point to incorporate the fringes of the weaves into her designs, adding texture while ingeniously avoiding waste. Sustainability is indeed a cornerstone of her work ethic, prioritizing pattern making techniques that maximize the use of the textile. And when scraps cannot be avoided, she uses them as appliques or pieces them into something new.
Caring for Communities
She describes her designs for the Red Charity Gala as “farm to fashion”, where plant-based fibers are crafted by indigenous weavers and sourced through fair trade practices. “A very big purpose here is really to support local. The minute you support local, you’re already supporting communities. It’s automatic, right?” she says.
To give it a fresh spin, she colors the fabrics using natural, organic dyes like sapang, indigo, and turmeric. “Sapang is pink, and different variations of pink. It goes from dark to light, depending on your timpla,” she explains of this dye sourced from the wood of a flowering tree. Meanwhile, indigo gives the piña a deep blue color, while turmeric tints it with a warm golden glow.
“My concept, or even my purpose, is to continue finding possibilities with the use of piña,” she reiterates, going as far as essentially designing her own textiles. She points to a bolt of piña featuring silver stripes behind us. She then explains how she had instructed the weavers to incorporate delicate lines made of metallic thread. “Aside from fashion design, it’s also textile design,” she declares. Indeed, browsing through her archive, an almost encyclopedic array of iterations for diaphanous fabric is revealed.
She likewise shares that when working with communities, it is important to collaborate and build relationships. “Supporting them is also being responsible too about educating them of your industry,” she continues. She notes the value of elevating their knowledge of market trends, fabric treatments, and the importance of innovation to stay ahead. “It’s not just giving them work, it’s also [being] able to communicate with them the purpose of why we are having them make it. We need to innovate, and they have to be a part of it.”
The Fabric of Change
With an emphasis on the use of natural materials, working proactively with communities, and promoting the Filipino identity, Lulu’s designs spotlight how fashion can be a force for good. And this October, this ideology and her collection will walk the runway of an equally notable philanthropic force. “Of course, I am so honored,” shares Lulu of being the Red Charity Gala’s featured designer. She is also the show’s first-ever female couturier. Spearheaded by fellow Lifestyle Asia cover girls Tessa Prieto and Kaye Tinga, proceeds from the charity ball will benefit the Philippine Red Cross and other worthy causes.
With the global conversation centered upon the impact of fashion, Lulu’s approach embodies a mindfulness that prioritizes sustainability over speed. She also believes in buying quality clothing, with a focus on natural materials. “I think it’s very important to invest in something that you know can be long term. Many times with organic, its innate nature is to, and it has the characteristics of, turning into vintage,” she posits.
The principles of her design extends to her personal style, which she describes as modern and contemporary, but also eclectic. “I have a lot of old clothes, like in the 30 years, 40 years, [which] I still have. I reuse them, upcycle, and restyle them,” she shares.
Global Aspirations
As an established name in fashion, Lulu has likewise used her influence to help her fellow designers. She was an active board member of the FDG (Fashion Designers Guild), among other organizations. Lulu was also president of the FDCP (Fashion Design Council of the Philippines) from 1996 to 2006. During this time, she co-led initiatives to devise creative and educational opportunities for emerging talents and colleagues.
One of the most crucial projects during her tenure at the FDCP was organizing the local competition that would determine the Philippine representative to the Concours International des Jeunes Créateurs de Mode in France. “For many years, I’ve been supporting also the young designers through our council. We were able to send our Filipino aspirants in fashion competitions in Paris. So that’s where Jojie Lloren won the grand prize, and [Frederick] Peralta too,” she declares.
She had also been a board member of the Alliance Française de Manila, which is France’s cultural and educational institution in the Philippines. To further promote our fashion talents, she facilitated collaborations between French and Filipino artists in art, fashion, and design through annual events.
Her contributions to the cause of fashion and the arts had likewise earned her a knighthood. In 2003, she was conferred the Chevalier des Arts et Lettres (Order of Arts and Letters) by the French Minister of Culture and Communications. Additionally, she had initiated a partnership between the Department of Trade and Industry and the French Embassy’s Cultural Office in Manila. This was to consult and assist in the fashion and garment industry in the Philippines.
Championing Filipino Fashion
Given her storied career, she believes that if there had been something she had contributed to the industry, it’s been to encourage others to create with our heritage and history in mind. “Maybe it’s inspiring other designers to get into something Filipino, or Filipino-inspired, she says. “You don’t have to use Filipino fabrics. But it could be Filipino-inspired touches that already makes one do some research about what is Pinoy.”
Her constant modernization of the Philippine dress she believes, had helped take our traditions into the mainstream. This is of course also in line with other initiatives like Ternocon, MaArte, or Artefino. “It all has helped boost Filipino identity into this generation,” she maintains.
Her designs have likewise imbued piña with a certain nobility and preciousness “I think true luxury is comfort, quality, sustainability, and being mindful. I think this is modern luxury. And for me, piña, the way I created it, the luxurious part of it is giving space to the body,” she says. Through the sheerness of the textile, one can style it with various pieces, from a casual bandeau to a dressier lace top. “It gives you also that freedom for creating your own personality. My look actually allows you to be yourself also.”
Lulu does indeed craft her pieces with her ideal muse and today’s current lifestyle in mind. “I think it’s understanding my market because I’m a career woman. I’m working every day and I need functional clothes,” she declares. As such, her pieces are easy to pack, can take you from day to night, and feel very now. “We’re presenting piña in another way, something more contemporary, and it’s catering probably also to a younger market.”
Fashion Advocate
To have thrived in the competitive fashion industry for close to four decades, while maintaining the integrity of one’s principles is a feat not accomplished by many. “I think it’s very important to love what you’re doing, otherwise you’ll not sustain your career. When you love what you’re doing, you kind of become persistent. You become more patient until you get where you want to go,” she declares.
Loving your work is the number one advice she would give the next generation of creatives. Number two is to constantly innovate. “You must have your foundation first,” she maintains. “And foundation is knowing where you come from, because wherever you come from, that is the beginning of your resources, your pride, and your knowledge.” Lastly, she expresses the importance of hard work. “Of course, I think if you love it enough, you’ll work hard.”
Despite all that she has accomplished, she feels there is more to do, although she eschews thinking of it merely in terms of achievement. “I don’t think about achievement. I just feel that as long as you don’t destroy, you’re already contributing to the world,” she says. And contribute to the world she has with her dedication to craft and creativity, and her tireless pursuit of beauty and the nuances of the evolving Filipino sartorial identity.
Nonetheless there is still much to be done on all fronts. And to really effectuate change, she believes one must start with educating people and changing their mindsets. “I think creating awareness is important. Because many of us are not aware about other sectors, about other industries. But we always have to aim [for things] that are good for our people,” she says. “That awareness is so important. Because the minute they’re aware, they’ll see that it’s quite positive.”
Text MARIANE PEREZ
Photos BELG BELGICA
Sittings Editor CANDY DIZON
Creative Director PAOLO TORIO
Hair and Makeup CATS DEL ROSARIO
Stylist ROKO ARCEO
Shoot Coordination MAE TALAID
