by Nicasio Angelo Agustin
“Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society”
– Mark Twain
It has often been said that man has three basic necessities: shelter, food and clothing.
Food and shelter are best shared with others – there is really no enjoyment in sitting down alone to an elaborate meal, and there is no fun in going home to an empty mansion. In stark contrast, clothing is considered personal, dependent on an individual’s tastes and preferences and dictated by one’s sense of style (or even the lack thereof). Thus, there really is a truth to Mark Twain’s maxim – and from old pictures of him I’ve seen, the author packaged himself with flair as well.
Clothing, as an economic sector, encompasses distinct yet interrelated activities such as textile production and design, garment manufacturing, fabric and garment wholesale and retail marketing, dressmaking, haberdashery, apparel and fashion design, styling, production and marketing.
As a process, it involves a wide-range of economic activities requiring ingenuity, creativity and innovation. As a commodity, its market varies and cut across geographic boundaries; an easy object of domestic and international trade.
In each stage of the whole process, the value added in the making of a single item of clothing is significantly great. This, then, got me thinking about the Philippines’ own ups and downs when it comes to clothing.
In decades past, the nation had been heavily reliant on the contribution of the garments industry to the manufacturing sector. It has always been widely recognized that the industry has significant employment and gives more value-adding compared to others. Garments are among the country’s most significant exports. They still are.
In recent years, however, whatever growth the garment industry has shown has not been paralleled by our own textile industry. Constraints related to relatively higher labor and power costs compared to our competitors, coupled with low labor productivity and technological backwardness have led to the Philippines not being able to produce its own fabrics for the garment industry.
Thus, while we have talented, homegrown designers churning out world-class goods that would be at home in the closet of any globe-trotting fashionista on any continent, at the end of the day, anything “Made in the Philippines” isn’t truly 100% Pinoy because the raw materials are imported. A sad thought indeed.
A widespread global interest in the Asian aesthetic has been exponentially growing in the past few years: what is cool now is not American or European but Japanese, Korean and Chinese. Even Singapore and Malaysia are enjoying a robust fashion industry.
In order for us to catch up and have a vital Philippine garment industry, from high brow to everyday wear, there is a serious need to develop human resources and skills for our textile industry, promote and invest in updated technologies, harness local talent, develop well-defined apprenticeship programs with global leaders in textile making (such as Italy and France) and apply aggressive technology transfer.
This is what it will take to make a truly fashionable Philippines.
The biggest fashion show in the Philippines will be held on October 25-31, 2010 at the SM Mall of Asia Atrium and Convention Center. Philippine Fashion Week (PFW) showcases the best of Philippine design and is the most prestigious show for fashion in the country.
Nico Agustin for Nico Agustin Menswear will present his “Tightly Gripped, Elegantly Wasted” menswear collection in this year’s Philippine Fashion Week (Spring-Summer Collection 2011). Nico Agustin’s philosophy is anchored on sharp, refined ensembles achieved through meticulous tailoring, clean lines and basic colors. Nico Agustin Menswear gives its wearers a neat, polished look that builds from the poise innate in formal menswear.
If you find yourself in Manila during Fashion Week, I hope you take the opportunity to see the best in Philippine Fashion Design. I hope to see you there.
Feel free to send your comments to nic agustin@yahoo.com.
