06 November 2013 - US-based Filipino-American fashion designer and textile technologist Anthony Cruz Legarda was recently in Milan for the first time for a look-see visit as part of his plans to venture into the Milan fashion trade. His aim is to introduce his fashion designs with his use of the finest natural fabrics and embellishments indigenous to the Philippines.
On October 25, Mr. Legarda proudly presented at the Philippine Consulate General in Milan samples of his works made from Filipino eco-fabrics --- all hand-woven, embellished and naturally-dyed by local Filipino artisans from various communities in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
His collection included fine clothing materials made from piña (natural pineapple fibers), Philippine silk, organic cotton, bamboo, soy, saluyot and other natural and eco-friendly fibers. His creations celebrate the great skills and techniques of the country’s indigenous talents, and at the same time, contribute in the preservation of Philippine textile traditions as well as generate employment for artisan communities in the country.
In Milan, Mr. Legarda had the opportunity to experience the real feel of the Milan fashion trade in his visits to small and medium textile and clothing shops spread around the city and to Milan’s famed Via Montenapoleone in the fashion district where shops of big Italian fashion design houses like Valentino, Ferragamo and Prada are situated.
To further explore ideas and seek suggestions for his planned venture into the Milan fashion market, Mr. Legarda also met with long-time residents of Milan from the Filipino community.
With his insights of Milan, Mr. Legarda said his next step is to develop a work plan for a return visit to the Italian fashion capital next year, with the exhibition of his designs featuring the country’s finest eco-fabrics, as target.
Mr. Legarda was one of the featured designers at the successful Fibre Filippine held in Rome from October 17 to 20, organized by the Philippine Embassy in Rome, together with the European Network of Filipinos in Diaspora (ENFiD), the Department of Agriculture - Fiber Industry Development Authority (DA-FIDA) and Roma Capitale. END