Photographed by Artu Nepomuceno
Vania Romoff
“Viring”“Designed to reflect tradition and the contemporary, this piece is a translation of the brand’s identity and a celebration of the hands that create.”
“Designed to reflect tradition and the contemporary, this piece is a translation of the brand’s identity and a celebration of the hands that create.”
Dedicated to her grandmother Viring, Vania Romoff crafts a two-piece ensemble that melds the past and present, and celebrates the hands that created it.
The late Viring Romoff was widely considered to be Cebu’s first couturier. “She would often tell me that she started learning how to sew in the Second World War, stitching hospital gowns out of used parachutes,” said her granddaughter Vania Romoff in Vogue’s September 2023 issue.
A year later, she venerates her grandmother in a new way: “I figured this piece would be an ode to her who started it all for me as a third-generation designer.” For her two-piece garment, Vania designed a personal interpretation of the traditional terno.
The sculpted crop blouse features camisa sleeves handsewn from piña or pineapple fiber. Meanwhile, the matching drop-waist skirt features the same smocked and ruched technique as the blouse’s high neckline, which is meant to highlight the pineapple fabric’s texture. Delicate ruffles are also hand stitched in a plaid pattern, “to replicate a nostalgic plaid cotton common in traditional baro’t saya attire.” A closer look will even reveal pearls of varying sizes concealed underneath a veil of piña bustles, meant to resemble local pearls nestled in shells.
“To have my work in Paris somehow is such a career-defining moment that I’d like to dedicate to [my grandmother],” Vania shares. “Designed to reflect tradition and the contemporary, this piece is a translation of the brand’s identity and a celebration of the hands that create.”
On its second anniversary, Vogue Philippines invites homegrown and global creatives to Vogue Threads, an experience that weaves Philippine culture, creativity, and community into the world. Its inaugural edition celebrates Filipino artistry and heritage, through an exhibit featuring the works of designers from the islands of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
Photographer: Artu Nepomuceno. Art Director: Jann Pascua. Fashion Editor: David Milan. Production Designer: Riza Rosal. Producer: Anz Hizon, Bianca Zaragoza. Photography Assistants: Odan Juan, Lou Fajardo. Styling Assistants: KJ Villanueva, Miguel Rafael Timbol. Production Design Assistant: Christian Manlunas. PR Associate: Sophia Correa. Backdrop: Espacio Creativo Escolta.
