Jhobes Estrella’s Grandmother Inspires the Filipiniana at Rampa Manila 2

June 21, 2024

In Manila City Hall, enduring elegance perseveres as Jhobes Estrella crafts a collection that ties a family connection

Undeniably timeless is what you can describe Jhobes Estrella. But what makes him above the ticking of the clock? Is it the Filipiñana form, of which he succeeds in capturing what it stands for? The neutrality of his palette that gives as much color as any other shade? It can’t just be the fold of every flower, nectar sweet as piña, as it’s sewn upon the susceptible cloth. Perhaps, it’s the inspiration, an idea that nurtures and gives joy. In the designer’s collection for Rampa Manila 2, it’s a woman. It’s his grandmother.

^{Shermaine De Ramos and Jhobes Estrella}

Rampa Manila, now in its second year, is a fashion showcase recognizing the capital city’s founding anniversary. It honors Manila’s extensive historical and cultural legacy, as it acts as a lively stage where fashion meets custom through refinement, this time drawn from the local buzzing favorite marketplace: Divisoria.

Jhobes Estrella's Rampa Manila Filipiniana — ^{The Filipiñana collection is inspired by the designer’s grandmother}

“My collection is about traditional Filipiniana.” The designer, trained at the Fashion Institute of the Philippines, is a specialist in the traditional style. He expertly combines heritage with imagination to create designs that are both classic and modern.

Jhobes Estrella's Rampa Manila Filipiniana Santino Rosales barong — ^{Barongs also take their place in the collection}

Estrella shares, “I added more laces, flowers, feathers, into drapes.” The designer has become known for his ability to extract the spirit of Filipino fashion, and the result passes the Philippines’ great beauty and cultural mosaic, with each design an expression of his knowledge and ideas, sometimes personal.

^{Floral accents are embroidered into the barong’s body}

^{Fabric is draped toward the flower details by the side}

^{Draping is a dominant method for creating the look}

Cipriana is the name of his collection, a tribute of an apo to his lola. In Estrella’s newest collection, his takes on the butterfly sleeve can outshine or outfly any Divisoria bargain hunter’s lucky find. He channels her wisdom—like how to spot a good deal from a mile away and why a well-tailored Filipiñana can outlast even the most constant family feud. They’re heirlooms in waiting, destined to make future generations chuckle at how stylish Lola was, and how she could haggle with the best of them.

Photographed by GRANT BABIA

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