Bessie Badilla advocates for indigenous fashion

A top Filipina model for nearly five decades whose first visit to the UAE was in 1981 for the “Aureo Alonzo Fiesta Filipina World Tour Group” in Dubai, and who cat-walked for Michael Cinco at the “Dubai Fashion Week 2023,” has said that fashion from her home country has been at par with the world’s best.

Bessie Badilla, whose accidental entry into the glitterati of haute couture happened, when Manila hosted the 1976 “International Monetary Fund-World Bank Annual Meeting” at the then newly-opened Philippine International Convention Centre, also said that the intensifying interest-cum-awareness of even the Filipino youth concerning their indigenous fibres and artisanship would strongly impact on the so-called colonial mentality which historians from decades back had imaginatively labelled as “300 years inside the convent (Spain) and 48 years in Hollywood (USA).”

The first Filipina model for Balenciaga since 1982 who went on “world tours” with the Philippines’ “fashion giants” such as Pitoy Moreno, Ben Farrales, Auggie Cordero, Joe Salazar, as she has been working as well with the UAE-based Amato (Furne Uno), reminisced that even in 1970s to 1980s, “Philippine fashion was already up at par with European fashion. Our shows were greatly applauded and images of our shows made it to international fashion magazines. Guests went back stage and made sure they had proper information about our designers so they could order garments directly from them.”

Thirty years of immersion in the industry, Ezra Santos who set up his own atelier in Dubai 11 years since his 1993 landing, said that Filipino fashion is no longer “emerging” since “our talent, our stories, and our craftsmanship, especially with traditional textiles and embroidery, are now being recognised on the world stage.”

Yet, buttressing the niche “needs stronger stronger support systems: more investment in our artisans, better supply chains, protection for our traditional techniques, and steady international exposure. The good news is, we are moving in that direction, and the future looks very bright.”

“Promoting Filipiniana and our indigenous textiles is not just about culture, it is also about sustainability, livelihood, and giving Filipino design its own unique voice on the global stage. These fabrics are eco-friendly, they carry stories that set us apart, and they support the weaving communities that keep the craft alive,” Santos also said.

With Badilla, 67, as one of his models, Santos “paid tribute to the Balintawak, Terno, Baro’t Saya and Barong Tagalog” of the 17th to 19th century Philippine fashion” by way of his new 12 collection of Filipino haute couture, featuring Philippine-sourced “handwoven pinya” (pineapple fabrics) “paired with chiffon and abaca-inspired textiles to create both fluid drapes and sculptural silhouettes; ethereal, whisper-light gowns to richly embellished, architectural looks.” The 12 were not only Santos’ “way of bridging the past and present,” but more importantly, a “tribute to Emiliana Yriarte Trinidad’s timeless grace, while honouring today’s modern Filipina: strong, elegant, and globally seen.”

Emiliana Yriarte Trinidad (January 4, 1878-March 22, 1971) is the “Una Bulaquena,” the 2008-declared National Cultural Treasure of the Philippines,” which through the strong “cultural partnership” between the Philippines and the UAE, has made the June 2025 to June 2026 residency at the Main Galleries of the Louvre Abu Dhabi from the National Museum of the Philippines, possible.

Formally mounted on June 18, the Philippine Embassy (Abu Dhabi) organised the “Una Bulaquena Gala Night” recently with chief guest UAE Minister of Culture Sheikh Salem Bin Khalid Al Qasimi.

“A first time in the Arab World that enriches our galleries and expands our universal narrative. By placing it in dialogue with Manet and Japanese prints, we bring Juan Luna into the artistic global artistic conversation, where it resonates as a proud symbol of Filipino identity, grace and strength,” said Louvre Abu Dhabi director Manuel Rabate, of the 185X187 centimetre oil rendition of the 16-year-old Emiliana by no less than her art instructor, Juan Luna (October 25, 1857-December 7, 1899). “A symbol of dignity and social stature that reflect our Spanish colonial confluence,” said Philippine Ambassador to the UAE Alfonso Ferdinand Ver, who described Trinidad’s outfit, as succinctly brushed by the European-schooled award-winning Luna, who could have preferred “a European noble woman” but opted for “a young Filipina from Bulacan, a province known for its wealth, cultural refinements and strong nationalist setting. It reflects his ability to merge European endemic tradition to the deep sense of Filipino identity.” National Museum of the Philippines director general Jeremy Barnes expressed hope that “Una Bulaquena” binds all Filipinos wherever they are.