In Manila City Hall, Anthony Ramirez crafts his dreams and turns them into manifestations of wearable art, made only of inabel textile
Dreams are frequently constructed through the complexities of the real world, and Anthony Ramirez’s works of art derive from this intersection of fantasy. His creations were concrete manifestations of his reveries, like reflecting desires in the mind’s eye. It stimulated marvel, fascination, and avenues where there is no dead-end. At Rampa Manila 2, the designer‘s actualized dreams, turning thoughts into truth.
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Rampa Manila memorializes the anniversary of the country’s capital, much like how one’s dreams tinte, tinge, and touch a city, contributing to its history. The show provides an evolving environment where fashion meets the limitless potential of Filipino innovation, leveraging our resources such as the Divisoria market.
Ramirez’s collection comprises pure inabel textiles. “Inabel is a fabric from the north, a weaving, so the city government wants to promote Divisoria where the material comes from,” he explains. The thread comes from Divisoria, woven in a town in La Union called Bangar. This clarifies why it is called Abel Bangar, counteracting Ilocos’ Abel Iloco, although both were born in the country’s north.
“We personalized the color, the weave pattern, and then the execution; Normally, the abel is hard and stiff. Now, it’s soft, and we used one color per dress.” These colors inspire black, brown, pastel peach, and white. The challenge for Ramirez is to make use of the textile in different usages, including bags and shoes, finished with fringe accents.
For Anthony Ramirez, this collection is a dream come true because it was crafted from scratch, using a single material converted into a variety of forms. It’s a dream where one creation can become many, and many can be beautiful. Yet, what makes this collection a dream for him is its deeply personal nature. Dreams, after all, are customized. And bringing your aspirations to life from scratch? That cultivates his heartfelt dedication.
Photographed by GRANT BABIA
