The Legend
The Dean of Philippine Fashion, Ben Farrales, left a void that will take long to fill
Tatler pays tribute to the Dean of Philippine Fashion, Ben Farrales
By now, even if the tears have dried, the memories must certainly still be alive—and will possibly stay this way for a long, long while. Such is the likely consequence in the passing of a legend. And on March 6 this year, a legend passed away, leaving a huge void in the realm of Philippine fashion.
Ben Farrales—or Mang Ben to many, or the Dean of Philippine fashion titularly, or Ben Farraray to newshen Millet Mananquil referencing to the designer’s no-nonsense attitude—clocked around 50 years in the industry, before retiring upon reaching 80. Eight years later (nine on his birthday on July 1), he was gone.
But not before leaving a legacy of a career that turned global attention to the country’s fashion, that helped professionalise the modelling industry, that trained young designers in the trade. And of course, a career replete with wonderful creations. His trunk of gowns includes his innovative use of woven fabrics from the tribes of Mindanao, taking advantage of their vibrant colours to create the most gorgeous of gowns. This at a time when the Love Local movement was still a speck in designer universe.
His shows were much attended by his coterie of wellheeled clients and an admiring fashion set. It was also well covered by the media who conjectured the number at over 200. Most notable of these was his fashion show in 1959 at the Manila Hotel, the first fashion designer to hold one in this Manila landmark and his show at the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 1984, the first Filipino to do so in this premier theatre in Washington DC. Quite an achievement, indeed, for this industry pillar who said, in life, that fashion design happened to him not by choice but by circumstance.
He was born in Cotobato City, the youngest of Salvador Farrales and Paulina Samio, studied in San Beda College and acquired a fine arts degree at the University of Sto Tomas. If he did not consider himself born as a fashion designer, he had a love for the arts since his younger years, eschewing the medical education that his parents wished for him in lieu of fine arts. He gravitated toward the field of fashion after college, apprenticing in a fashion boutique in Manila called Aurelia’s. Here he learnt the rudiments of the trade; the rest must be an inherent talent, a gift at birth. But he was correct: fashion design was not a choice. He had no choice but be drawn to it.
Though taken as an eventuality owing to the state of health of the beloved octogenarian, the sad announcement on social media made by Farrales’ grandniece Leana F Carmona was still met with disbelief. Or perhaps, denial. A group most devastated was the Designers Circle Philippines who just endorsed Farrales for a National Artist Award for Fashion. If he is so named, this will be just one of his many awards, but one that will be given posthumously.
Another trait of a legend, not found in all, is the ability to pass on what he knows to the next generation. Farrales excelled in this aspect, being a mentor to countless of aspiring designers. It seemed he made sure not to leave a void because in life he also said: “All I have created I leave to young designers to emulate. I can go now. I can leave.” This may have filled the void in the industry but not in many a heart.