You can’t expect less from someone who’s destined to do more—step into designer Job Dacon’s old rich, sprezzatura world of high fashion
From being a forensic psychology student to working odd jobs for a living, avant-garde designer Job Dacon has been through it all—but there’s still so much more to do.
After investing in a Technical Education and Skills Development Authority course on graphic design, he landed a job in a big local airline, where he designed catalogs and took part in the iconic rebranding of the company’s magazine. But despite his steady career, he knew he wanted to make something different. Then, an opportunity came in 2018 where he was invited to the Miss Intercontinental pageant and was tasked to design for the representative of Costa Rica.
“I integrated my graphic artist background into fashion, which was practically non-existent when I was starting,” says Dacon, recalling that it was the moment he realized that fashion can really work for him. “But in my mind, I already have a vision. I want to be a fashion designer and this is where my brand is going to go.”
He printed out the historical Juan Luna painting Spoliarium on a terno—a first of its kind. He sketched a Filipiniana, made it into a paper doll, seemingly placed the cutout on top of the painting, and passed it for approval. At the time, Dacon didn’t even know the nine-head rule of drafting a fashion illustration—he simply drew a Filipiniana with the best of his abilities.
Some designers tend to go with the glam route for pageants. But Dacon’s interpretation of glamour is different: it’s something that comes from within and doesn’t need too much drama. That’s why if he were to choose between nouveau riche and old money, he would prefer the latter.
“It’s like Mark Zuckerberg’s t-shirt,” Dacon points out, half-jokingly. “You would think that it’s cheap. Why does he keep wearing a gray t-shirt even though he’s one of the richest people? But if you look at its price tag, it’s $300. At the end of the day, it’s about branding.”
“I also like to bring light to things that are taken for granted,” Dacon shares, referring to Luna’s art legacy that has been there for centuries but was rarely used as a subject for design. “My clothes exude that old richness because I didn’t have those back then. I grew up in Tondo where life is poor and I would see that the Chinese people in Divisoria were old rich. You can see them wearing jewels, but it’s nonchalant. If you look at them closely you’d say, ‘This guy has got money.’ So that’s where it stemmed.”
Having resided in Parola, Tondo, Dacon experienced living in a house solely made out of plywood, which is why his fashion ideology is intertwined with real life—the tough times, the huge leaps of faith, and the high society aspirations.
This excerpt is from One To Watch: Job Dacon found in MEGA’s December 2022 – January 2023 issue, now available on Readly, Magzter, Press Reader, and Zinio.
Photography RXANDY CAPINPIN
Creative Direction NICOLE ALMERO
Fashion Direction RYUJI SHIOMITSU
Beauty Direction MIA CASTRO
Makeup NADYNNE MARIE ESGUERRA
Hair MYCKE ARCANO
Styled by MIGUEL QUILANG and BEA GUERRERO
Sittings Editors BAM ABELLON and MARIAN SAN PEDRO
Models KIRK BYERS and CHANTAL SCHMIDT of MERCATOR ARTIST AND MODEL MANAGEMENT INC.
All pieces by JOB DACON
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Why Avant-Garde Filipino Designer Job Dacon’s Rival is Minimalism
Source: Insta News Pinoy
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