Inspired by the moments of warmth, joy and freedom, Joseph Bagasao tailors a collection for a woman who is unafraid to be herself.
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Ready to wear has only been a result of globalization and capitalism. The fast fashion landscape was keeping up with the quick changes that are happening in the world and society. But before all of this, there was a concept of slowness and appreciation of the now and current even in the world of fashion. Joseph Bagasao remembers this with stories of his grandmother. “My Grandparents, specially my lola was a well-dressed woman. Ready to wear back then did not exist very much in the province so all her outfits are custom made for her. From her regular church outfits to dinner and parties, it was always with a clutch or handbag and “Abanico” to match” he shared. This slowness and most importantly, thoughtfulness was the beginning of his love affair with fashion.
Beauty, Bagasao said, has always been something he was fascinated with. From beautiful interiors to fashion and music, he was drawn to every form of it at a very young age. His direction soon focused on fashion as he skipped other television channels in favor of FashionTV when he was in 4th grade. “It was in 2007 when I chanced upon the Christian Dior Spring/Summer Couture collection by John Galiano that I felt something quite real. Everything about that collection was speaking strongly to me and in some way it opened and gave me a unique understanding of what fashion is. It was more than what I was seeing but it was the emotion it holds that can move people in a very specific way” he said. From there he started exploring the world of creation and made his first garment for his sister’s prom. And there was the root of his namesake brand, Bagasao Studio: a brand that is thoughtful and intentional.
“Authenticity and Responsibility. Without both, we are just creating another piece of clothing, shoes or bag and there are millions being produced each year,” Bagasao said this is the center of his design aesthetic. For his label, there is no pressure to be part of the standardized cycle of fashion. For him, it all comes from the heart. It all starts with a feeling and from there he lets it unravel itself into silhouettes, color, shape and form but his favorite part of the process is actually pattern making.
“It involves analysis (haha) exercise of the brain, sourcing is when I feel very free and editing samples is when I use purely my emotion. Nothing goes out unless it feels right. I think that is one of the luxuries of being a niche independent brand. You get to create collections in your own terms” he said. This time around he revelled in the feeling of freedom and warmth. “Think of Bianca Jagger, Yoko Ono mood as captured on film by the late Slim Aarons (La dolce Vita) floating freely along the coast of wherever and with the energy of Marrakech Morocco” his narrative was clear and so is the feeling that is the foundation of the collection. He shares that it was an emotion that he reached for after 12 months of isolation.
A longing for freedom. He could not have it now so he created it for when it does. The result is a collection that is easy on the eyes but even more comfortable for the body without forgetting about the woman’s form. Oversized buttondowns with waisted bottoms exude seasonless chic that can easily transition into wardrobes while dresses and skirts hug the waist with minute details and manipulation that differentiate his look from his contemporaries. It was accurate to his intentions but is also present and timely to everyone else’s style needs.
“We want to create with meaning. Create pieces that can connect and communicate so we never really played catch up with most around us. I have seen the short comings of this industry and I have no intention in following such path.”
Joseph bagasao
With storytellers like Bagasao, it is essential to tell stories even if it is far from the norm because only then can we get out of our own bubbles and see new potentials on how to move forward and in this case, he is unafraid to explore all other stories that need to be told.
This fashion feature is as seen on MEGA’s September issue now available in Readly, Magzter, Press Reader and Zinio.
