Thomas Isaac Mathew Catindig | The Capitol
Posted on December 2, 2022 | 5:30 PM
“Protesta gamit ang sining.”
Fashion is integral to activism; what we wear reflects different non-verbal messages. Whether it is reclaiming an identity, reinstating history, or making political statements, fashion has been a powerful tool to influence, rekindle, and represent.
With that, students of the Bachelor of Performing Arts 3A in Bulacan State University showcased an advocacy exhibit with different themes that represents the human rights and protest of current issues that the society face today.
SINDI is the name of the laboratory of the 3rd year students of the Performing Arts course. The advocacy exhibit is part of their final project in their subject Costume & Make-up. The section chooses whatever themes they want to present, as the aim for this is to catch the eyes of the design and learn the meaning of each design.
There are two different themes the section presented.
1.) Suot Alab
Headed by Laurence De Vera, their exhibit focuses on the EJK and police brutality by the previous administration by Former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and the current administration. Their fashions are inspired by the famous personalities who are victims during the Extra Judical Killings. It took them a week to conceptualize their theme and took three days to excecute their exhibit.
2.) Houses of Freedom: Colors of Fantasy
Headed by Jimson Lunar Lucio, the theme of the group's exhibit is about celebrating the Ballroom Culture made by the Black LGBTQIA+ community, for the queer community here in the Philippines. It is a celebration of the houses that started it all, and the houses that are currently active in the budding ballroom community here in the Philippines.
“The exhibit’s purpose is to spread awareness to the people who don't have any knowledge of what the ballroom culture is. We want to show the creativity, art, and fantasy that comes with the competition inside the community.” Lucio said.
He also said that the ballroom culture is not just the dancing pure aesthetics or glamour, it's also the fantasy - the freedom to express your true self. It was once a safe space for queer runaway youth to be someone, to dream, to fantasize a life that seems too far for them - too far even for their lives.
Each design of their symbolism is a fusion of fantasy and a touch of Philippine Culture categorizing in the form of houses.
House of Labeija, a protest to the broken system and standards of pageantry back in their time.
House of Xtravaganza, a tribute to the Latin Ancestry of the House inspired in Latin Countries, according to Lucio, the house suffered exclusion from the community itself, for not being a black house.
House of Mizrahi, the Philippine chapter to represent the seniority and authenticity with the use of the abanico fan.
House of Dirty, they wanted to show the concept or the branding of the house which is “how you can make dirty beautiful.”
The designs were made in a day due to time constraints. Lucio said that most of the materials are recycled found in their houses and trinkled with the design to make it more beautiful.
Comments