This year’s MEGA Ball will show the parallel appreciation of art and fashion in the Philippines.
Art and fashion ripple over each other—changes made in one are mirrored and reflected in the other. Both art and fashion are fields that benefit from change since both grow through change. The two fields are direct responses to what is happening in society—art and fashion tell the stories and history of people.
The Philippines has gone through a plethora of changes. From being colonized by different countries to being influenced by different cultures, art, and fashion in the country is nothing but arbitrary. The constant cultural growth and movement of the Philippines as a country gave birth to a parallel emergence of art and fashion.
Equidistant Growth
Pre-colonization, Filipinos were already sporting a variety of weaved textiles that distinguish a person’s tribe. These textiles are art on their own, with different patterns and colors that tell the story of how their ethnic community came about. Their tribe’s stories of triumph, losses, dreams, and way of life are all captured in the weaves.
Fast forward to the 300 years of Spanish colonialism in the Philippines, art and fashion drastically changed. Clothes during the colonial period were a reflection of the status quo and religious influences. Art, on the other hand, is focused on rectifying religious dominance and class division. This division is seen in Amorsolo, Luna, and Hidalgo’s paintings—depicting Filipino lives back then.
Art and fashion are inseparable—one is inspired by the other. Today, both fields reference each other, showing parallelism. The lines that separate fashion and art seem to become blurry. The spheres of fashion and art are now merging.
Entwined Lines
In this year’s MEGA Ball, art and fashion collide. The event will feature emerging artists and their artwork. Parallel with the quintessential jaw-dropping outfits that the guests would be seen wearing, this year’s MEGA Ball celebrates the country’s art and fashion sphere.
Headed by MEGA Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief, Peewee Reyes-Isidro, this year’s MEGA Ball uplifts Philippine art and fashion. Together with Isidro, this year’s co-chair is Sheila Romero, a businesswoman who built her empire in different fields. A staunch supporter of the arts with an impeccable fashion sense, she is a natural fit as this year’s MEGA Ball co-chair.
This year’s MEGA Ball will be on June 12 at The Peninsula Manila. The annual event is held every 12th of June due to the day’s historical relevance to the country—the Philippine Independence Day. The event is a celebration of Filipino nationalism through fashion and art.
This year, MEGA aims to hold a compelling avenue for fashion and art to meet. This event helps advance the plight and echo the messages of new emerging designers and artists while honoring the masters. It upholds the rich Filipino heritage and culture—and further celebrates feats made by Filipinos for Filipinos.
Banner photo by Alexis Dave Co.
