Artist Nena Saguil and the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Paris c, 1968. Photo courtesy of Leon Gallery
Artist Nena Saguil and the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Paris c, 1968. Photo courtesy of Leon Gallery
Nena Saguil’s gift to Tetta Agustin is a highlight of Leon Gallery’s year-end offering, “The Kingly Treasures Auction,” happening this November 30 at 2 PM.
When 24-year-old Tetta Agustin first flew from Manila to Rome in 1973, she had no idea she would land herself into one of the most illustrious fashion houses in Europe and in the annals of Philippine fashion history, no less, as the first Filipino to model for Givenchy and Yves Saint Laurent in Paris.
Standing five foot and seven inches, the aspiring model was deemed too petite for Rome’s fashion scene. She had previously caught the eye of Italian designer Renato Balestra from her Manila modeling gigs, and he had urged the young model to test her luck in Rome. “When I went to see Emilio Pucci, he told me I was too petite for Rome fashion,” she told Philstar in 2012. “He told me to go to France because he was quite certain I would have more chance to work in Paris.”
Rome’s rejection turned out to be a redirection, as immediately after landing, she found herself at the Catherine Harley Modeling Agency and in front of Hubert de Givenchy himself. He was looking for an Asian model for his upcoming show, and, despite having signed on a Vietnamese model, one look at Tetta was enough for him to bump the prior model to sign her up on the spot.
“I put on [Givenchy’s] dress,” she recalls in a 2018 Philippine Daily Inquirer interview, “then finally, he walked into the room, looked at me, and nodded me on [as if] to say ‘thank you.'”
So began her illustrious career in Paris. From 1973 to 1979, Tetta walked for Givenchy, rubbing elbows with elites like Audrey Hepburn, socialite Bunny Mellon, and former US First Lady Jackie Kennedy.
Givenchy himself had a huge impact on Tetta’s life. Affectionately called “Papa” by the model, Tetta endeared herself to the “gentle giant” (the designer stood at six foot six). He took the young ingénue under his wing, introducing her to the international fashion world at large. “He would always ask me over to his atelier, perhaps because I made the seamstresses laugh,” Tetta said. “He treated me like his little girl.”
Tetta’s single-minded pursuit of her dreams, combined with her vivacious nature, bore her great success. At the time, she wouldn’t take no for an answer. “The rejection stung, but it was more because I couldn’t book a job than me being too petite,” she recalled. “I came to Europe to model, and I refused to work if it wasn’t going to be a job that I liked.”
However, with Givenchy as a sponsor, Tetta found herself intermingling with illustrious guests in banquets, yacht parties, and even private shows. Soon, Tetta developed friendships with prominent women such as horticulturist and art patron Bunny Mellon, socialite and philanthropist Barbara Hutton, Wallis, Duchess of Windsor, and then First Lady Kennedy.
It wasn’t only these high society women that Tetta endeared herself to. Upon her signing with Givenchy, Tetta sought out the model she replaced, a Vietnamese named Doti, and forged a lifelong friendship with her, even serving as godmother to Doti’s child.
Tetta’s bright and open personality endeared her to Givenchy—its staff, clients, and the man himself, who was involved in the model’s personal life as godfather to her daughter Tosca. “Perhaps that’s why we were always fighting, as if in a love-hate relationship,” Tetta, the “hardheaded,” as Givenchy loved to call her, recounted their unique dynamic. “He would always ask me if I was getting married and when. And my personality is, I’d get queasy about being asked.” Still, she holds the fashion designer in a place of respect. In half a jest, she said, “I like to say that he was the only gentleman left in Europe.”
Tetta walked the runway for the last time in 1982, almost a decade after she flew to Europe. With time on her hands, she turned to focus on her many businesses, and even in a completely different field, Tetta still carried her unique blend of feistiness and gratefulness moving forward. She surrounded herself with like-minded mentors, friends, and colleagues, propelling her career to higher heights.
It is then unsurprising that she also found herself in acquaintance with the Philippines’ first Filipino abstractionist Nena Saguil, close enough for the artist to gift her this abstraction piece. Like Tetta herself, Nena forged her path back when few artists delved into pure abstraction, and even fewer of them women.
This Untitled 1972 work, gifted to Tetta by Nena herself, echoes the freshness of Tetta’s career. Utilizing a series of circles that overtake the canvas, one can discern the sun, the mountain, and the sea as he depicts a novel vision of the horizon. The work was created during what critic Emmanuel Torres categorized as the artist’s lyrical abstraction period, with the piece done in shades of blues, pinks, and violets.
This gift bestowed on the model portrayed not just Saguil’s impeccable handle on pure abstraction but also the paths both women took as the first Filipinos to excel in their respective fields. Both Nena Saguil’s artistry and Tetta Agustin’s career boast of their eminent characteristics, the two of them acting as trailblazers in their own right.
The Kingly Treasures Auction is happening this November 30, 2024, 2 PM, at Eurovilla 1, Rufino corner Legazpi Streets, Legazpi Village, Makati City. Preview week is from November 23 to November 29, 2024, from 9 AM to 7 PM. To browse the catalog, visit www.leon-gallery.com.
