Pamela Madlangbayan honors the Filipino modernday heroes with a utilitarian Filipiniana-inspired collection

Young designer Pamela Madlangbayan gives workwear a whole new meaning with her graduation collection that honors OFWs

“My collection BALIKBAYAN was inspired by a literal Balikbayan Box,” says Pamela Madlangbayan, a fresh graduate from DLSCSB. That brown box has symbolized countless stories of struggles, love, sweat and tears to many Filipinos all over the world. To Madlangbayan, it became the perfect concept for her first collection. “I came from a long line of balikbayans and I wanted to push the limits of my imagination by thinking how I can make a brown box interesting to look at,” she says. Hence, the packing tape, bubble wrap, and beige tones in the collection that she created. Beautiful as it is, there’s a deeper meaning behind it.

One of the silhouettes that Madlangbayan chose was her version of the terno—but this time, her muse wears trousers and a corset (once seen as a restrictive garment). “The modern Filipina is the new Maria Clara, and she gets to wear the pants,” she says. The prints that she chose were also signifiicant as they were reminiscent of the packing tape that would say “FRAGILE” or “HANDLE WITH CARE.” A way for her to join in on the conversation of fragile masculinity and traditional gender roles in society, one of her muses also wears her version of the barong, complete with a khaki skirt that emulates the balikbayan box. But the dresses that she made out of paneled tape and bubble wrap stole the show—no wonder Madlangbayan was awarded with the “Best Brand Concept.”

Everything in the collection was handmade and engineered by her during the quarantine. She also collaborated with fellow artist Ricardo Yan who made use of the “scanography” technique were the images were transferred to the sheer fabric. “I guess you could describe my designs to be on the kitschy—campy side, but I take clothing construction very seriously. I’m a very outspoken person but I’d rather have my art speak for me,” she says.