DESIGNER’S CANVAS IS THE ‘BAYONG’
Young artist and Iloilo-born fashion designer G Magalona has recently gone viral, thanks to her collection of Filipiniana-theme hand-painted bayong, or native handwoven totes.
She debuted her fashion line at Iloilo Designers Week, and soon after, her label G Magalona Couture. The pandemic put a stop to all her activities.
She immediately explored other possible projects and found herself surrounded with bayong, which her mother bought on the road from the municipality of San Marcelino.
“My mom, who is also a designer and artist, encouraged me to try painting on the bayong,” the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde alumna recalled. “It felt like I was rediscovering old talents to create new opportunities.”
She hand-painted each tote with elements reminiscent of the country’s Spanish colonial past, to include images of the traditional Filipina à la Maria Clara in her elegant traje de mestiza, vibrant landscapes highlighting the bahayna-bato and Baroque churches. She likewise reimagined 18th-century rococo romantic paintings.
Much to her surprise, the first five pieces she posted on social media instantly sold out. All of a sudden, commissions and requests for various personalized designs started to pour in.
Through her collection, she wishes to elevate the existing craftsmanship of the bayong and use it as a canvas to further showcase the rich Philippine tradition. “It promotes native handicrafts and eco-friendly fashion. But more importantly, it echoes the statement ‘Mahalin Ang Sariling Atin.’
Now based in Subic, Zambales, Magalona is looking at making the tote a quintessential piece.