Proudrace Fashion

Proudrace is a fashion brand created by Pat Bondoc and Rik Rasos.  The name is indicative of what they believe in, their pride in being Filipino and owning a Filipino company.   The two thought that the menswear selection in Manila was very limited, so they decided to make their own clothes. While wearing their unique pieces around town,  friends showed interest in their designs and soon the two were being commissioned by their friends to design and make clothes. The brand now makes both women's and men's clothing.  Sounds great, doesn't it!

The duo's 2012-2013 Dark Waves Fall Collection is inspired by skaters, punks, goths.  The brand generally offers a black and white pallet with reinterpreted styles from the 90's.  The clothes are completely wearable and sometimes androgynous.  The pants are tight, the t-shirts are slightly oversized, and the jackets are asymmetrical. Below are some samples from their collection:

Hoodie with a longer backside, sleeve detail similar to backside.

Wind breaker with open V-neck colla

T-shirt with rose and shark prints

Bandana/ scarf with rose and shark print

The clothes are currently being sold in Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia and to a small market in the U.S. alongside stores in Manila.  I'm hoping this brand becomes big because I just love it.

When I first discovered Proudrace I immediately thought the designers were Filipino American because there's something very American about the clothing: Perhaps its the way they style their clothes or the music they choose for their video campaigns that look American, but I was surprised and delighted to find out that Pat and Rik are homegrown Filipino talent. Having two designers born and raised in the Philippines while being able to capture American street culture and style so accurately brings-up all those ideas I'm interested in- globalization, colonialism, the internet age.

Here is the interview with Pat and Rik on youtube which goes into detail about how they started Proudrace:

The interview shows two playful guys who are just having fun with their talent.  Please support them if you have a chance to buy their clothes.

About Me.

This post has nothing to do with the newest music or an amazing new Filipino flick or a cool event around town.  If you don't already know,  I'm not in the Philippines yet, but I intend to either relocate there (I currently live in New York City) or live there for an extended period of time (like six months).

Let's just say that this blog started earlier than it should have, but that's the excitement of it all, getting ready and preparing myself for my next big adventure.  Who knows how long I will end up there and how long this blog will last.  However, I guarantee you that these posts will remain informative for the time being, and that it'll be a natural progression from researching about Metro Manila to actually immersing myself in the culture.

So, for now at least, my posts will be research I've found on the internet, etc.  But to give you my street credibility on all things Filipino, I am a pure-blooded Filipino and I did go to high school in the Philippines almost 20 years ago.   And the Philippines I knew back then is a vastly different place from what it is now.  I remember it being a much more conservative and insular place, although American influence has always been a big driving force within the culture.   These days with the the more rapid spread of information via the internet, Western influence is even more pronounced than it ever has been. Which is why it surprises me how Manila often reminds me of Los Angeles these days.

This topic of  Western influence, of immigration and of the balikbayan (a term used for Filipinos returning to the home country after being away for awhile) has always been on my mind.  To explain a little bit about my background, I immigrated with my family when I was only three years old.  But even after moving, Filipino culture has always been a  part of my life.  For example, my family has never really lost its ties with the Philippines ( and I think I find this true with most Filipino immigrants).  Since I was little, my dad has always gone back once or twice a year for long stretches of time ( between three to six months).  My two older sisters went to high school there while us two younger brothers studied in the States.  Then, when my sisters went to college in the States, it was my turn to study high school in the Philippines.  We were never really a family that grew up together, and I sometimes often blame that on either the Philippines and our inability to lose ties with it or the mere fact that we immigrated to begin with.

Nonetheless, I am learning to embrace the idea that I do have two homes, that I do have the possibility of understanding two cultures very intimately.  And I think that my American influence and Filipino influence will translate into the events, art and culture that I blog about.  So read on, I hope...

Bee Eyes Tour Dates

Bee Eyes, a totally cool low-fi garage rock band, will be touring various bars in Manila this October. If you're in town make sure to see them! They recently opened for the Pains of Being Pure at Heart and have a spread in Esquire Magazine.  Bee Eyes sound like a toned-down Jesus and Mary Chain with a whole lot of Beach Boys, and their mellow, drowned-out guitar and drums accompanied with the dreamy, echoing voice of  their lead singer Idris is perfect music for those polaroid-colored lazy days out on the beach.

I won't say Bee Eyes is original because this low-fi genre has been around for awhile in the States, and  in fact, most, if not all bands in Manila are influenced by the American music scene.  Putting originality aside though, if you like the American bands Panda Bear, the Minks, and T.V. Girl to name a few,  then you'd definitely love its Filipino counterpart Bee Eyes.  If you don't want to take my word for it, then take Victor Basa's, a friend and loyal follower.

Below you can find their bar tour dates in Manila:

Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival

I'm excited about my recent discovery of the Cinemalaya Film Festival.  It's a non-governmental organization that provides financial grants to independent film directors and showcases their films at the Philippine Cultural Center every July.  This year there are three films I want to see from the Festival.  Which of these films do you want to see? Provide your comments and remarks after viewing the trailers below!:

Ang Katiwala by Aloy Adlawan

In this movie Ruben, a carpenter, finds a new job as a care taker for a grand home once occupied by a historically significant deceased Filipino President. Knowing little about this former historical figure, Ruben becomes fascinated as he reads up and learns more about him.  The night-shift security guard of the compound jokes that Ruben is slowly being possessed by the deceased owner.  Here's a clip from the film:

Ang Nawawala by Marietta Jamora

Columbia Univeristy trained Marietta Jamora debutes her first feature film.  It's about 20 year-old Gibson Bonifacio who comes home to the Philippines for the holidays and reconsiders and redefines his relationships back home. I'm really excited to see this one (The music soundtrack is excellent):

The Animals by Gino Santos

It's a film about growing up in a wealthy Filipino upper class family. Don't know much about the film, but it sure does look like how upper class kids act in the Philippines!

The Emerging Art Scene in Manila

The Filipino art community and its media coverage both locally and globally is small, so for the artists that do get press and media, all the more power to them!  There are only a handful of Manila galleries, the most notable being Silverlens and Pablo.  Most of the notable contemporary art galleries popped-up just recently, the earliest in 2004, so the Manila art world and the burgeoning art community are also very new.  If you can afford to buy world-class art and support local Filipino artists, please do so. You will be helping this emerging art culture grow while obtaining important works of art.

Address:

2FYMC Bldg. II

2320 Don Chino Roces Avenue Extension

Makati City 1231, Philippines

Silverlens recently opened in 2004 and was ranked #1 by spot.com.  The gallery aims to be the hub of contemporary art in Southeast Asia.  Founded by Isa Lorenzo and Rachel Rillo, both photographers, the gallery focused on photography in its early inception but expanded to other mediums in 2008.  It's a world-class gallery space:

Silverlens Gallery

Silverlens is currently representing these artists:

Frank Callaghan, Mariano Ching, Christina Dy, Patricia Perez Eustaquio, Dina Gadia, Gina Osterloh, Gary-Ross Pastrana, Hanna Petty John, Rachel Rillo, Maria Taniguchi.

My favorite artist at Silverlens is Frank Callaghan who is English by decent, grew up in Baguio and now currently resides in Manila.  His series of photographs on urban landscapes are intriguing, making us examine more closely and contemplatively the mundane urban landscapes we zoom by in our cars everyday. Somehow these photos reach into our subconsciousness the ways in which we identify the distinct landscape of Manila. Here are some of his most notable photos:

Titled: "Stranger- Symmetry/Duality" 

Titled: "Boat"

Address:

2289 Pasong Tamo Extension

UPRC III Building, Makati City

Metro Manila, Philippines 1231

Address:
Unit C-11 South of Market Condominium

Fort Bonifacio Global City

Taguig, Philippines

Pablo Galleries opened in Cubao X on September 16, 2005, and have expanded gallery space in two locations in Makati City.  It's aim is to exhibit the works of young contemporary talent in the Philippines and emerge as a key player in the art world.  Here is a photo of the Pablo storefront in Cubao X:

At their Fort location they recently exhibited the works of Dina Gadia and Allan Balisi.  Dina is fascinated with images from retro 1950's and 60's posters, and tries to understand and dig the past by placing a skull or exposing flesh where there once was a beautiful face or smooth skin on the image.

New Music Label in Manila

A new Filipino music label, Number Line Records, representing various Manila indie bands was established in 2011.  Number Line Records' website looks fantastic and the music sounds even better.  They describe themselves as "an independent music label based in Manila, Philippines. It was established in 2011 as a collective platform for like-minded Filipino artists to distribute music locally and globally. Number Line Records specializes in free digital releases."

Check-out their website here:

http://numberlinerecords.com

Number Line Record's Tarsius, an amazing electronic band, just played Hong Kong on August 24th.  They jam some good beats and are reminiscent of the LCD Soundsystem.  You can see them play at various venus like Saguio Bar and Cafe and B-Side Collective.  Watch their video Deathless Gods, directed by Marie Jamora: