Like most great friendships, designers Jaz Cerezo and Mark Bumgarner could not have been any more different, from their personalities, background, and approach to design. However, they both have their share of celebrity clientele and a burning passion for putting Philippine fashion in the global spotlight. Together, they inspire one another to even greater heights
This is an excerpt from the MEGA November 2024 Designer Profile
WHEN DID YOUR FASHION JOURNEY BEGIN?
JAZ CEREZO: Project Runway Philippines, the first season. I think that’s back in 2008. And it opened up a lot of doors for me. Then I joined Philippine Fashion Week. Basically, that’s where it started. But before that, I was already a designer. Our family business in Dagupan is fabrics and textiles. So, it was a natural course for me to be in the fashion industry. But I took up fine arts in FEU. And then I majored in advertising, but I wanted to do fashion talaga. So, I took up dressmaking at Slims [Fashion School] to learn how to construct clothes.
MARK BUMGARNER: Me, completely different from how Jaz started. I started out not even in the industry, as you know. But after looking for a different career from racing, I found myself immersed in the fashion industry, but more so behind the scenes. A lot of my friends were working at fashion shows. And I would actually just go with them and hang out backstage and help out. And one day, I just decided to do it. I did short courses here and there. I did go to Slims for a bit. I did some short courses in CSM (Central Saint Martins) for a few summers in intervals.
WHAT IS YOUR DESIGN IDEOLOGY OR FASHION IDENTITY?
JC: I suppose it’s a mix of sexy and classy. It has to exude a certain sultriness. When I’m making clothes for a collection or for myself, parang ganyan: borderline sexy but not vulgar.
MB: Once I found my brand ideology and the whole feel that I wanted, I really stuck to something that’s timeless. But I always try to make sure there’s that edge that’s still in line with the modern day. But I always say to my clients, I want 10 years from now, when you look at your photo — whether it’s your wedding or your debut — you wouldn’t know what year it’s from. That’s always my goal. But obviously, like what Jaz said, it’s different when you’re making a collection. Because that’s really what’s in our head, our dream, like creating our own muse.
CAN YOU SHARE WITH US HOW YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS WORKS? WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR INSPIRATION FROM?
JC: Oh, it’s different… it’s more on my current mood. Like in my upcoming collection, when I found out that I’m doing the show, I was watching Dune. So that’s what I played with. Then when I went down to the atelier, we were making denim looks, so I incorporated that too until the collection’s complete.
MB: So it’s a mixture of her experiences in the past few months.
JC: Yes, also that. Mas maganda sya, mas nakakarelate ka. Mas in-touch ka with what you’re doing if you’re drawing from experiences or inspiration.
MB: It might sound cliche, but there’s no same process in every collection that you make. Kasi you really don’t know when or where you’re gonna get it. Sometimes you can be inspired by something now, but you’ll use it for a collection years later. It depends when you incorporate it. For example, like Jaz, based
on what I’ve seen on her collection, it’s really what’s been happening around her within the last six, seven months. With me, well obviously Earl (partner and creative director) and I both work together. It’s the same. It’s either from when we travel or when we’re just here or when we’re just at home looking at stuff or watching YouTube or different fashion shows from 30 years ago, so it really depends. It’s not a fixed process.
Read more of Designers Mark and Jaz’s conversation in MEGA’s November 2024 issue , now available on Readly, Magzter, Press Reader and Zinio.
Photographed by JOSEPH PASCUAL. Creative direction and production by JONES PALTENG. Styled by RYUJI SHIOMITSU. Written by STEF JUAN. Makeup ANGELINE DELA CRUZ. Hair PATTY CRISTOBAL. Models AIYANA and LORENZO of IM AGENCY.
