Fish Out of Water

There was a time in my life when I was able to ramp for a fashion show with my height. It was during the late 1990s for an Ateneo High School event which included a fashion show. The male models were all Ateneans and the female models were from exclusive-for-girls schools. We donned clothes from Tokyo Fashion, 26Red, and Gozum. They're those stores you find in Robinson's Galleria or Megamall at that time.

Then there was another one back in college when I was asked to model for a large convention together with other college students.

Whatever walking skills I garnered from those ramp experiences were simply stored in my muscle memory that hibernated in my body. I never really thought they had to be awakened again.

A little more than two weeks ago, I received a call from a good college friend, with whom I had a shoot with before. She asked what I planned to do on October 23. I said I didn't have any plans yet. And from there, she explained that an Avant Garde fashion designer, Estien Quijano, with whom we had a shoot with months ago and whom we call Dave, wanted to have me as one of his models for Philippine Fashion Week.

Okay, pause.

Philippine Fashion Week? Yes, Philippine Fashion Week.

Wow.

Being invited to ramp for such a big and serious event in fashion felt surreal to me. I had to sit down and absorb the news slowly. I think it started to sink in when I talked to Dave and when he said he would love me to model for him. He also encouraged me to invite my friends to watch. And so two days later, I had my measurements taken at his place. And that's when it began to sink in really well. I was about to do ramp for Philippine Fashion Week and I was not in my most tiptop condition.

I was actually wishing I had a few months to prepare for it. But then I only had a a couple of weeks. Healthy food and exercise simply entered the picture for me. I said no to junk food, chocolates, and those fried foods that were part of my daily diet. Instead, I had oatmeal for breakfast, had more fruits and vegetables in my meals, and found time to exercise. In a way, it was a healthy crash diet.

I don't know whether it's the power of suggestion but people kept saying I looked better. For me, I really didn't see much difference although I felt more energetic and I found it easier to move around. Is that actually possible for just two weeks?

But anyway, despite my efforts to be healthy and feel good about myself, reality of modeling entered the picture when we were told that Runway Productions wanted to limit the models. After the first fitting, it would be decided whether they'd let the additional designer's choice models to ramp or not.

I met the really real models of the solo gala show during that first fitting. I describe them as "really real" because it is their line of work. It is what they do. I'm more of the real-person-turned-ramp-model-again-for-a-night. The really real models were young (as young as 18 or 19), gorgeous in whatever clothes they wore, stood tall with their incredibly long legs, and looked either thin or very proportional. I sat there with the most beautiful female bodies I've ever seen in a single area. I sat quietly, not knowing anyone, except for a girl who asked me for the time. She was 18. Chatter of New York, Macao, Japan, and Hong Kong fashion shows sometimes filled the air. A number of beauty queens were also around.

I told a good friend afterwards of how young, gorgeous, and tall these really real models were. My friend said I was two out of three so that was good. Haha.

What I learned from that day was that whatever I knew about walking from my amateur experience was not enough. I needed to practice my walk -- to glide and not bounce. Once the fashion show director said "Lala, welcome to to the world of fashion", I felt happy and vowed that I'd practice. (I am not 100% certain about these exact words but that was the gist of what he said). From then on, I practiced walking everyday using a pair of four-inch heels that I never really used before. Healthy food was also part of the regimen.

And then the day came. My really real ramp debut.

That was the first time I saw the clothes to wear, heard the song to ramp with, and actually practiced on the ramp. The theme was Avant Garde but I'd like to call it Pinoy Avant Garde.

I think that the way we had to walk with the Eraserhead's song, Magasin, was part of the designer's art:

HIT IT!



Nakita kita sa isang magasin.
Dilaw ang 'yong suot
At buhok mo'y green.
Sa isang tindahan sa may Baclaran,

Napatingin, natulala
Sa iyong kagandahan.


Naaalala mo pa ba noong
tayo pang dalawa?
Di ko inakalang sisikat ka.
Tinawanan pa kita,
Tinawag mo akong walanghiya

Medyo pangit ka pa noon
Ngunit ngayon...






Hey

Iba na ang 'yong ngiti.
Iba na ang 'yong tingin.


Nagbago nang lahat sa 'yoooo
oh ohhh.



Sana'y hindi nakita.
Sana'y walang problema
Pagkat kulang ang dala kong perahhhhh ahh.





Fashion Designer: Estien Quijano
Philippine Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2009
Photos by Arwin Doloricon and Sarah Bautista.

The best part of my white Avant Garde get-up (at least for me) was actually its V-shaped bareback which people could only see when I turn around.


Doing ramp itself is an exhilarating feeling. I vividly remember the beginning of the long ramp, the straight walk on the solid ground, surrounded by darkness but bombarded directly by the strong beams of light, the herd of cameras at the end of the walk snapping away in milliseconds, a pose and a slight pause, and then the turn, the walk back, and the exit. Done. It was like being a performer but in a totally different manner and in a very fast mode. After all the work, it's done and that's it.

And then you just crave for more.

Those who watched that night said that there will be more to come. Hopefully their words would bring in positive vibes and opportunities! Haha. It might actually work because a great lot did say it out loud. You see, I had my very own full task force slash entourage called FRIENDS that night.













Slowly, I understood fully my role in this show. I truly felt honored to have been part of Philippine Fashion Week. I call this my really real ramp debut at the age of 25. But more than that, I think I've seen how blessed I am in my life as a relational being. I've always been supported by people who believe that anything is simply possible. And for me, that's just how a fish out of water survives. No, not just survive, but actually live.