Fashion Institute of the Philippines Designer of the Year Teng Surisantos upends the conventions of gendered fashion with his award-winning collection
Some people found new hobbies when the pandemic halted our lives in 2020 — little pursuits that got shelved or forgotten as everyone slowly eased back into their pre-lockdown routines. Some, like Teng Surisantos, discovered their true passion.
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Encouraged by his partner to pursue a lifelong dream, Surisantos enrolled at SoFA Design Institute in 2020 and later at the Fashion Institute of the Philippines (FIP) in 2022 where he trained on modern and traditional menswear patternmaking, sewing, and tailoring. Before getting his formal training, he was a reality fashion TV devotee, imagining himself as a contestant and creating sketches in his head for every challenge. Now, Surisantos has everyone talking about his bold take on men’s street style.
In October, Surisantos culminated his two-year stint at FIP, where his collection of contemporary Japanese-inspired menswear won him Designer of the Year and the awards for Best in Patternmaking and Best in Garment Construction.
“In the future, I hope more Filipinos can embrace the idea of genderless fashion, where men can go out wearing skirts just like in the streets of Tokyo.” It is this pursuit to blur the lines of what is acceptable as masculine that has made Surisantos stand out among his peers. He is the first menswear designer in FIP’s 21-year history to win the Designer of the Year award. With “Four Seasons of Tokyo,” his FIP impressive grad show collection incorporating traditional Japanese design with street-style workwear, he is marking an exciting new era in Philippine fashion, highlighting menswear as the main attraction.
For someone just fresh out of fashion school, Surisantos already demonstrates a progressive approach to design that distinguishes him from his peers. While most creatives start their process with a vision, Surisantos begins with a place. “I always ask myself, ‘Where am I going?'” The question may sound existential, but for the designer, it is a more literal inquiry that evokes images that convey the significance of specific places and certain events. It is also what makes his silhouettes both compelling and functional.
When he pictures the person wearing his creation, he pictures someone who is not inhibited by norms and is unafraid to explore new things as a form of self-expression. He refuses to set boundaries on what a man can and cannot wear.
“I like how the Japanese maintain tradition and combine it with modern style,” he explains his fascination with Japanese streetwear and culture. “I am captivated by how bold and fun people dress in Tokyo. It feels like every day is Fashion Week. It is not rare to see someone wear a kimono to work or the grocery store. My favorite Japanese outfit is tobi, the work pants of construction workers.” These baggy utilitarian pants, made from materials that prioritize comfort and ease of movement, spawned its subculture in Tokyo’s fashion scene. You can also see the principle behind the work garment applied to Surisantos’ designs, where he combines well-defined outlines with intricate details, each piece purposeful and tactical.
Long hours of manual labor and meticulous craftsmanship go into Surisantos’ projects, imbibing the work ethic of a true artisan. With his keen attention to detail, he found the physical work and the challenges of working in a small space the most difficult aspect of creating his collection. He had to work with enormous fabrics and materials for his modular pieces for the FIP graduation show, sewing, cutting, and punching well-calculated holes for button snaps in his small bedroom, on a table that could only fit his portable sewing and edging machine.
While he already had an eye for fashion even before he underwent formal training, he believes the most important lessons he learned had nothing to do with fashion techniques. “I learned to never settle, and I should always strive to outperform myself. The experience gave me the courage to try new things to enhance my craft. It allowed me to let go of my self-doubts.”
Even as an up-and-coming designer, Surisantos has already achieved a distinctly recognizable style that cuts him above his contemporaries, yet it only invigorates him to keep reinventing. He hopes to create a lasting impact in the local fashion scene by constantly exploring fresh perspectives. “I would like to keep pushing myself and experiment on different approaches. I’ll keep on studying.” It is exciting to see a Filipino designer not just push menswear into the limelight but also free it from the restricting norms.
Photography by JHARWIN CASTAÑEDA. Written by DIANNE MENDOZA. Models COLE AND YUMI OF LUMINARY. Producer JONES PALTENG. Makeup by KATHY ORAN. Hairstyling by PATTY CRISTOBAL. Fashion Associate ERICA TEROL
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Source: Insta News Pinoy
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