Another round of styling classes over and done with, this time through Designer Fashion Workshops under Noel Manapat’s mentorship.  I’m glad I enrolled in this class, though I was hesitant at first, because I knew it’s hard to teach the actual work of styling.  I’ve been through SoFA’s classes, and there’s little to add to that when it comes to giving you a basic idea of the business.  Though you can get by with theories and concepts in the beginning, what really tests you in this field is the actual experience.  Which is why my favorite class was when Noel asked us to style a basic white tee with the concept of Neo Minimalism.

No clients to please, just yourself.  Your own interpretation of the concept.  Hmmm.

In my case, I saw Neo Minimalism as something futuristic, but in a rustic sort of way.  I had in mind this idea of a consummate survivor post apocalypse (stylized of course), inspired by the movie The Book of Eli and my own fascination for zombie apocalyptic scenarios such as Left4Dead (I’m utterly nuts about this game), Dawn of the Dead (a classic) and The Walking Dead (I swore I’d just read a few issues, then before I knew it, I read all 72 that are out).  This got me reworking the basic white tee–by “going minimal”, I decided to make the white shirt as both main piece and accessory.  I made several white tees into a scarf, and deconstructed one of them to work it with an interesting texture that could already stand on its own without other embellishments.

So as you can imagine, I was already psyched for the shoot. What I wasn’t prepared for was the announcement of our mystery photographer’s identity.  It was none other than Jo Ann Bitagcol–hands down my favorite local female photographer who also used to be one of my favorite top fashion models.

I’ve often lamented the lack of of female photographers locally, especially in the fashion industry.  It’s no coincidence that the likes of Jo Ann Bitagcol and Sara Black used to be models (or in the case of the former, she’s so well-sought as a model that she’s still requested at shows even though she’d rather be behind the lens now).  It sometimes leads me to believe that to be in the cutthroat business of fashion AND photography, you have to have that backdoor access.  I remember when I was trying to learn the craft back when DSLRs weren’t so popular yet, established photographers weren’t too keen on hiring female assistants, as they couldn’t be expected to lug heavy equipment around (even though I was willing to).  I almost wish I could’ve persisted longer–but I was a fresh grad, and there were so many viable jobs just waiting to be accepted.  I got tempted and gave in.  In fact, my first one paid for my DSLR.  But by then, I had put photography aside (trying to rekindle the romance agan, though).

Fast forward to now.  I quit my job and am pursuing a career in almost the same scenario.  The reason for my being in the workshops.  And here we were, standing inside Jo Ann Bitagcol’s studio.  It was surreal.

Okay, so I couldn’t resist hamming it up with Jenny and Jund, even if I were a little starstruck with Jo Ann.  I was wearing my usual styling get-up, with my flats (zebra brogues), but the scarf and top are for my model.  Who’s she?  Read on to find out!  It’s craaazy.

The lovely model!  Just kidding.  Nio was playing around with the tutu he made his model wear.

With Jenny again

with Melissa Rivera

More behind the scenes footage of dressing up my model are with Melissa, so I’m eagerly waiting for that! *nudgehintnudge*

We were in for another surprise when we got to the studio.  We were told we had two models for the night: runway favorite Krystal Espiritu and trimedia goddess Ornussa Cadness!  GAD!

With Krystal (Nio’s model)

To decide who would be our model, we drew lots.  I guess you’ll know who I picked (I was nervous about it):

Ornussa as The Consummate Survivor

Part eco-chic, part apocalyptic bad ass.  Using the same material and color, the white tee was deconstructed to create varying texture and visual interest.

I thought Ornussa was perfect for my idea.  You know how she pulls off that Maldita look?  It’s the perfect attitude to go with the concept, though of course, this is a more mature look.  She has that quality about her–you can see it in photos like the ones in Rogue.  She doesn’t look like the typical model, but the attitude shines through.  Not that she was a diva during the shoot–far from it!  I was nervous for nothing, she was all smiles and patience and I was so glad to have that opportunity to work with her.  Who knows when that’ll happen again?  (I had a picture with her and another where she was hugging me, but I don’t have it yet. Huhu!  Nio and I were styling our models at the same time so we didn’t get photos of our progress.  Almost all of the photos above are from Nio!)

Originally, this was supposed to be all white–but time was running out, and it’s hard to source white leather AND shoes.  I ended up buying those black SM Parisian shoes, and then exchanging them for a tan one in my size after the shoot.  Above is Jo Ann Bitagcol’s first shot, and the one that was ultimately picked as the final.  It turned out well, though if I could go back and change a few things, I would’ve draped the scarf differently and I would’ve emphasized all that work that went into the main shirt.  You can see more of the details in close up in this previous entry.

Will I do this again?  Definitely.  I think I’m aiming for a series of the white tee project next year (calling photographer friends, in particular, Nio and Noel! Haha).

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