Last Tuesday Town and Country held a gala reception at the museum of the Filipino people, The National Museum. The gala was the book launch and exhibit of Slim’s. Salvacion Lim Hiiggins (Slim) was one of the top couturiers of post-World War II Philippines. At the time she gained popularity because her clothes were on the cutting edge of fashion due to her use of unusual shapes and styles. The gala was a retrospective of her 50 years in fashion, showcasing a wide variety of pieces taken from her personal archives and former clients.
The exhibit traces the styles of her gowns and dresses spanning 50 years, all of which are still wearable even today. Definitely a visionary in fashion, her gowns from the late ’40s to the early ’60s all look like they were made for the modern woman. The woman has impeccable taste and the word glamour is certainly synonymous with the word Slim’s. In Preview magazine’s latest issue, you can see that the clothes themselves stand on their own. This inspired the magazine to do a photo shoot in the style of Irving Penn, where the clothes stand out and the model is much like a lifeless mannequin. The attention is on the clothes, not the model. Think photo shoot of Audrey Hepburn in the movie Funny Face. Slim’s clothes are part of a bygone era where women changed clothes at least three times a day—one for lunch, merienda and dinner.
Picture, if you will, the era of Jackie O (or TV's Mad Men) when very few women had to wear practical clothes. Everyone went to the beauty salon at least twice a week and wearing white gloves were the norm. Although women were already in the workplace, women’s fashions were still a bit tedious. And everyone wore stiletto heels even to do something as mundane as the groceries.
Slim’s was later known for putting up a fashion school in the 1960s. She wanted to pass on her knowledge to the future generation of designers. The school has produced some of today’s top designers including Joe Salazar, Pepito Albert, Ceasar Gaupo, Oskar Peralta, Caloy Badidoy, Lulu Tan Gan and Joey Samson.
During the event, every designer worth his salt was in attendance. Even some of the new generation were present as well. The designers and fashionistas in attendance truly belonged to the Glamorous Set. They were hard-core fashion people but not trendy and contrived. These are the people who truly appreciate fashion as an art and not as a status symbol. The exhibit itself was impeccably done by the museum and one could have been in a corner of the Louvre or the Met in NYC. From the lighting to the setup, it was all perfect.
I must say that this is one event I attended where there was not one ugly dress in sight at all. All the women who attended really took time out to look their very best—from the women who were clad in couture to those who were wearing off the rack. My congratulations to all of you, you all looked glamorous. In all my years attending high society events, balls, etc.... only a few events can be counted as truly glamorous and inspiring. This is one of them.
For just a brief moment all the guests were brought back to an era that had gone by. Perhaps it was that long walk on the red carpet, going three flights of stairs to the museum, that sealed the deal. Or the wonderful museum itself, as the surroundings certainly matched the clothes. It makes one understand why French women are always glamorous they have to compete with the scenery. For a brief moment that night, I forgot all about the ravages of living in a third world country as I was in a remote bubble surrounded by all the glamour of the evening. But that only lasted for an hour or so as I quickly grounded into reality every so often by the searing heat and humidity making me run to the nearest air condition vent. Other than that the evening was perfect.
