Courtesy of Jor-el Espina
As a prelude to his upcoming 20th anniversary, designer Jor-el Espina hosted a private preview of “Adaptation,” his new collection launching at the ArteFino artisanal fair this August.
Spot a bomber jacket-barong tagalog hybrid on the street, and there’s a good chance it’s by Ilonggo designer Jor-el Espina. Cheekily called a “Bomberong,” Jor-el’s signature style was spun out of a personal desire to don a fresh interpretation of the national dress, to an event that required Filipiniana attire. Nearly a decade after it was first developed in 2013, the Bomberong remains a staple in his collections, his latest included.
Titled “Adaptation,” Jor-el’s upcoming ready-to-wear release draws inspiration from the brand’s archival designs—mainstay styles and bespoke creations he crafted for a select clientele. This year, elements plucked from various points in Jor-el’s design portfolio were reimagined as one-off separates through the lens of Filipino art deco. Though presented as a 14-look assemblage, the pieces will be sold separately at the designer’s booth at the ArteFino artisanal fair happening this August.
The selection includes a longline piña jacket appliquéd with santan and kalachuchi flowers; a striped camisa finished with beads and another embroidered with what looks like a hundred abaniko fans; and a range of tapis or “a strip of cloth wrapped around the waist” which were styled layered upon each other atop a pair of wide trousers.
“I usually start with the material first,” Jor-el tells Vogue, pointing out that although they mostly used piña, abaca, lace, and woven lace, these were interspersed with archival and deadstock fabric as well. “When I do a collection, it’s not all new material, I’m collecting material from shows before. I have to really share it with everyone.” He cites a colorful striped jusi fabric from 10 or 12 years ago as one of multiple that finally found its way into a garment. Speaking of mixing the past and present, while the designer’s enduring Bomberong was interpreted in a contrasting gray number for men, he also sought to infuse a banig or woven technique he’s been perfecting since last year. There are tops, bottoms, and dresses in the material, including an overskirt that can be dressed up or down.
The garbs form geometric shapes and volumes around the body the same way ornamentation and lines decorate a building. The art deco spirit extends to the venue, too. Presented under the high ceilings of Casa Buenas over a five-course family-style lunch, guests were enveloped in a Filipino art deco cocoon where wooden arches, capiz fixtures, and hand-carved hardwood floors infused light and warmth into the room.
When we speak to Jor-el after the show, he reveals, excitedly, that the midday gathering is simply a prelude for what’s to come. It’s the first in a series of events that will culminate in a grand celebration of his brand’s 20th anniversary in May 2025, a milestone that coincides with the 100th year of the Art Deco movement.
He later confides that these festivities are a first. “You know, when I celebrated my 10 years [in the industry], it was two years after. Because I did not realize that I [already hit] 10 years. I forgot!” Candidly, he recounts the support he received from friends and sponsors in Iloilo who allowed him to stage a 10-year anniversary show.
This time, he declares, “I really want to celebrate [this] milestone, because I think it’s worth celebrating. This is my gift to the brand. And to myself.”
