Hablon De Argao

 model: Ilene De Vera

details:

This post is so long overdue. Anyway, with the conclusion of Design Awards earlier this month, I am beyond proud to show you this piece I designed for a fashion show during the opening ceremony. The entire theme of the show had nothing to do with our aesthetics but rather with one single fabric, hand-crafted here in Cebu- the Hablon de Argao. This fabric is one of the many things Argao is proud to offer. Now, as design students we were tasked to design pieces incorporating this fabric, in nothing but the Pantone color of the year Marsala. I know nothing is so "Marsala" with my piece, I just decided to stick with Red and with whatever shade the dying would give me. Just never get your hopes high with dying that it'll give you the amount of accuracy you are expecting, just no. Although, Marsala was not attained I still loved the outcome of the dye because it has this burnt prints on it. Rustic to say the least and on my defense. 

For my design, I really wanted to use chains and that's what I did. Letting the Hablon hang on to the chains creating this handkerchief-like dress and creating this silhouette I now love. It just exudes this laid-back and carefree vibe. To contrast "dirt up" look of the overlaid dress, I made another dress with organza in a really classic silhouette. Halter top, full skirt, and backless. Although with the time crunch, I am still proud of what I was able to produce for that fashion show.