For the eighth edition of Red Charity Gala, the country’s biggest fashion gala for a cause, the spotlight will be turned on to Manila’s master couturier and interior designer Chito Vijandre.
Vijandre, who for decades has blazed the trails in the not-so-disparate realm of fashion and interior design, officially joins Red Charity’s league of world-renowned Filipino designers such as Dennis Lustico, Furne One, Michael Cinco, Cary Santiago, Ezra Santos, Jojie Lloren and Lesley Mobo.
From an early age, Vijandre had already exhibited nascent artistic abilities—always going against the grain, gaining school recognition and awards in art competitions here and abroad, including participation in the Mexico Olympics where he represented the Philippines in its prestigious art forum.
He then parlayed his talents into the glamorous world of fashion, enrolling in the ‘70s at the Slim’s Fashion and Art School. His original and refined designs easily gained him recognition and acclaim from Manila’s fashionable set, where he dressed the most stylish and elegant women, including the likes of La Divina Chona Recto Casten and Tingting Cojuangco. At 20, at a time when lunchtime fashion shows were all the rage, he already mounted his first one-man show at the famed La Concha at the Hyatt.
One of his collections that took the local fashion scene by storm—which up to this day draws accolades from those who remember—were his fully beaded flapper gowns, painstakingly made from glass beads from a Masai necklace.
In an almost natural progression, Vijandre then channeled his creative energies to interior design—designing homes, boutiques and restaurants. Together with his partner Ricky Toledo, he founded the landmark concept store Firma—purveyor of home accents, jewelry and objet d’art—and later, AC+632 whose store is located at Greenbelt 5.
Now, Vijandre is set to present another marvelous collection that celebrates Filipino artistry. For this year’s highly anticipated gala event, he will be presenting a 40-piece Filipiniana Haute Couture collection reimagined and reconfigured through the prism of Philippine History and Art.
Happening on Oct. 8, 7 p.m., at Shangri-La Hotel The Fort, the Red Charity Gala 2016 is expected to be a representation of Vijandre’s panache, vivaciousness and his singular and unparalleled aesthetic and artistic vision, all for a worthy cause.