Clothes always tell a story. MEGA Entertainment talks to stylist Janra Raroque about building Barbie Forteza’s wardrobe in Pulang Araw
While some period dramas often subvert costume design, Pulang Araw buckles down on historical fidelity down to the hem. From the first few episodes alone, it is clear from the script, the production design, the score, and the filmography that the showrunners pay attention to the minute—and that also includes stylist Janra Raroque’s decisions on Barbie Forteza’s wardrobe. With the series’ efforts to illustrate the suffering imposed on the Filipino people, Pulang Araw is as profound and probing as it is visually sumptuous.
RELATED: Why Barbie Forteza, David Licauco, Alden Richards, and Sanya Lopez Said Yes to Pulang Araw
The Concept
Pulang Araw reveals a politically scarred history of the Philippines under the Japanese occupation, and so the characters’ costumes was an early and central consideration. “We had to create a progressive look for Barbie’s character, Adelina,” Janra begins. “In the series, the audience witnesses her journey into womanhood in World War II; first, we meet her as an ingénue, dreaming of becoming a vaudeville star. Then the war happens, which changes everyone’s lives. The clothes largely reflect these transitions, which Barbie and I discuss whenever we are presented with new scripts. In a sense, the costumes subtly tell the story as well.”
Janra’s work, then, created the backdrop for Adelina to thrive and grow throughout the course of the film. The stylist drives the actor on that journey to establish themselves in that certain time and place where the story and the costumes feel plausible and reflective of its era.
The Sartorial Story
On the screen, the actors work with the garments. In turn, the clothing contributes to the film’s tale. “In the beginning, Adelina’s wardrobe is characterized by dainty floral prints, lacey textures, and baby doll collars—all very common for teenage girls of the time,” Janra shares. “We opted for cotton, silk, and rayon, which were also the most common fabrics then. The silhouette is simple and fitted with defined shoulders that we accentuate either with a puffed sleeve or a boxy one, a slim-belted waistline, and a hemline below the knee. We often do a serpentina and flared skirt for Adelina; we incorporate younger feminine silhouettes to differentiate her look with her sister, Teresita (played by Sanya Lopez). The latter adapted the more structured and more sophisticated 1940 silhouettes.”
Adelina then grows up to be what she’s always dreamed of: a vaudeville star. Dressing Barbie for this transition should reflect the moxie of the performer, as well as the elegance and dramatics of this facet of entertainment. The stylist explains that he studied the material first, then gathered historical references. After which he examined the choreography: “It is sometimes a challenge because for tap dancing routines, we have to craft an elaborate stage costume that is visually appealing, but still comfortable enough to move in.”
The stylist has two favorite pieces from the show: in the first episode, Barbie wears a gold 1940 showgirl costume with a sun motif. “This is the look in which we meet Adelina and Teresita as bodabil stars,” Janra explains. “It is a custom Eric Pineda fringe bodysuit which was individually hand-beaded to give that striking visual appeal of a Vaudeville stage costume. I love how the Philippine flag’s sun detail is hidden in the neckline—like an easter egg, and it complements the red and blue theater stage lights beautifully.”
He describes Teresita and Adelina’s first audition look as another favorite—a recreation of a bodabil photo. “It was Katy de la Cruz and chorus girls dressed in floral tropical outfits with dancers dressed as sailors,” Janra shares. “We recreated that photo because in the scene, they were tagged as copycats of the Queen of Bodabil. The sisters needed to find their identities to be true stars.”
The process
In a historical drama such as Pulang Araw, there’s a delicate balance between striving for historical accuracy and crafting a compelling story. Barbie’s stylist found that sweet spot, thanks in part to his background in styling for Maria Clara at Ibarra, another historical drama. He reveals, “We are always in close coordination with our Japanese consultants and our historical consultants. We see to it that every detail is close to being period accurate, but are still visually appealing to the audience.” He adds that Barbie’s wardrobe was entirely made from scratch, but that they would often look into archival pieces, vintage garments, or sewing patterns that are available online—then turn them into a “production-appropriate costume.”
While only a few episodes are out and the climax has yet to be reached, that doesn’t make Pulang Araw any less riveting to follow along—thanks in large part to the carefully planned costume design. You don’t need constant plot twists and turns when there’s so much to look at.
The stylist-actor relationship
Janra has dressed GMA’s Primetime Princess numerous times, and he notes that styling the actress for period pieces is very different from glammed looks: “A big factor why Barbie is one of the greatest actresses of our generation is because she never hesitates to fully commit to a character’s look. If it is what the scene and the character require, she is dedicated—no matter how hot it is on the set or how uncomfortable some outfits may feel. That’s why her characters are very believable. I feel very fortunate to have her as my muse and close friend, and that we have ‘time traveled’ together twice.”
This close collaboration with the actress has fine-tuned the sense of ease and authenticity that radiates from every costume Janra curates. After all, it is his ability to blend spectacle and story together—where the flutter of Teresita’s fascinator hat can be just as captivating as the simple blue sash around Adelina’s delicate dress—that makes this tale of Philippine history a fashion thrill ride to remember. “I must say that I feel very blessed to have worked on these culturally significant masterpieces with Barbie,” Janra finishes. “I am truly grateful to the whole production team of Pulang Araw and of course to GMA Network, for trusting me with another legacy project.”
Photos and Featured Image: JANRA RAROQUE and KAEL MIKAELLA (via Instagram)
