Photos by Chai Lugares and Sofie B.
“I think that the fashion industry truly is glamorous. In a sense, it brings people together and it makes one think about breaking the norms.”
This is how Mavic Castro, MINT Multimedia Arts student, described what she experienced when she and her fellow Fashion students got the chance to work in Sofia Borromeo’s premier fashion show, “Garden With Wings” last Thursday, March 7, at Blackbird Makati.
She and her fellow MINT Fashion students were tapped to become the consultation committee by designer Sofia Borromeo Alvarez for the fashion show that featured over 20 designs for ready-to-wear evening ensembles and bridal gowns. Borromeo-Alvarez is a rising name in women’s fashion in the Philippines. Her brand, Sofie B., was established last August 2015 and is thriving as a ready-to-wear couture for women in their mid-30s to their late 50s. Her brand also empowers women at Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) because she employ seamstresses from the vocational school to make her designs come to life.
Students present at the event were Dani Angeles, Film; Powee Celdran, Entrepreneurial Management; Mavic Castro and Miguel Rojales, Multimedia Arts; Kinny Andrada and Aleksa Meily, Fashion; Marinelle Aquino, Music Business Management; and Catherine Romana.
All clad in black from head-to-toe, they attended to their assigned tasks that day with known finesse. They also got to work with their previous guest lecturer and former top model, Jo Ann Bitangcol, who is the show’s creative director.
“This experience was nothing but helpful since it pretty much opened my eyes even more on how things run in a fashion show or when you try to sell clothes to customers of different profiles or backgrounds,” Aleksa Meily, MINT Fashion student, shared. “I realized how quick the industry goes and how connections with others are really important because it could help you with your business or career one day.”
She also added that a dedicated team filled with good and reliable people is most crucial in putting together a fashion production. She believes that having enough people working together towards the same goal will result to a successful show.
As for Castro, she said that she learned how to communicate well in this one-day affair. “It was a team effort, so communicating amongst each other was truly the most important thing. Everything had to be clear between everyone because we didn't just represent ourselves, but the Sofie B. brand and MINT as well,” she said. W