Philippine Neo-Ethnic Fashion Showcased in Vancouver
Photo on the left shows one of the models in Renee Salud’s finale wedding dress while model, on the right photo, is wearing Salud’s modern take on one of Mindanao’s traditional handwoven cloths.
31 August 2017 VANCOUVER — The Philippine Tapestry Show, a neo-ethnic fashion event showcasing the creations of renowned couturier and fashion designer Mr. Renee Salud was held at the Pipe Shop Venue in North Vancouver, British Columbia on 20 August 2017.
The fashion show featured premier indigenous textiles representing the different regions in the Philippines such as the gaddang textile beading of the Cordillera Region; abaca of the Bicol Region; intricate Lumban embroidery and beadwork of CALABARZON; and piña of the Visayas.
The show also highlighted the various weaves of Mindanao such as the T’nalak cloth of T’boli tribe of South Cotabato and the elaborate patterns of the dagmay cloth of the Mandaya tribe. These indigenous fabrics and textiles embodied the rich Filipino weaving heritage and artistry from all three main islands of the Philippines.
The show’s finale featured a stunning wedding dress creation of Mr. Salud, supporting one of the promotional taglines of the Department of Tourism (DOT), “The Philippines: A Wedding Destination.” Manila-based models as well as local models and beauty title-holders walked the runway garbed in Mr. Salud’s fashion masterpieces.
The Sindaw Philippines Performing Arts Guild performed a unique blend of contemporary and ethnic dances before a series of short audio-visual presentations on the different regions’ textiles industry.
Consul General Neil Frank Ferrer thanked Mr. Salud for bringing his neo-ethnic fashion creations to Canada. The Philippine tapestry show initiative has spurred the weaving industry in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, thrusting the “dreamweavers”, the tribeswomen who have painstakingly created and woven intricate and creative patterns, to the forefront of this artisanal micro-industry led by local women entrepreneurs.
The event was fully supported by the Department of Tourism and the Tourism Promotions Board of the Philippines, in partnership with local organizers led by the United Filipino Canadian Associations of BC for the Vancouver leg. The Vancouver leg is the first stop of the Philippine Tapestry Fashion Show in Canada. The show will also be held in the cities of Toronto, Montreal and Calgary.
For more information, visit www.vancouverpcg.dfa.gov.ph / www.vancouverpcg.org. / https://www.facebook.com/PHinVancouver. END
(Top photo) Guests at the Philippine Tapestry Neo-Ethnic Fashion Show of Renee Salud eagerly await the opening of the fashion show. (Bottom photo) Consul General Neil Frank and Mrs. Ferrer are joined by Filipino designer Renee Salud, Tourism Director Purificacion S. Suanding-Molintas of PDOT-San Francisco and Ms. Susan del Mundo of the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) and members of the Filipino-Canadian community. (Photo credit: Mr. William Orsua)