1. Undergrad Collection→ Concept
The Babaylan serve as shamans, witches, and mediums within Filipino culture, acting as vital conduits between the spiritual and natural realms. Predominantly comprised of cis and trans women, the Babaylan held significant positions in pre-colonial Philippine society until the advent of Spanish colonization, which sought to suppress their practices and influence. Filipino Psychology is a discipline deeply rooted in the lived experiences, cultural orientations, and philosophical ideas of Filipinos. It embodies a form of liberation psychology that seeks to address and heal the fractures in relationships and societal structures wrought by oppression. Fashion is characterized by its inherent dynamism, with shifts in thought and culture often mirrored in its expressions. It serves as a bridge connecting historical contexts to future possibilities.
This collection aims to articulate themes of Filipino Psychology and spirituality through a decolonized lens, drawing on the design philosophies of Thebe Magugu and the Japanese Avant-Garde movement to inform an aesthetic inspired by the Babaylan. My senior collection, titled "Babaylan," emerged from an extensive engagement with diverse sources of inspiration and research, including pre-colonial mythology, animism, basket weaving, natural dyeing, and Philippine textiles, alongside a personal exploration of family history. This endeavor reflects my understanding of home as a complex, multifaceted construct. Influences from Leny Strobel's discourse on spirituality as a pathway to decolonization, coupled with insights gained in Dr. Christina Verano Sornito's Anthropology of Media class—which introduced me to the concept of autoethnography—kindled my interest in the potential of fashion as a medium for documenting history and personal narrative. The works of designers such as Thebe Magugu and Rei Kawakubo provided fertile ground for exploration. Magugu's collections are distinguished by their integration of research, storytelling, and world-building, through which he intricately weaves his family narrative and the broader historical context of South Africa. Conversely, Rei Kawakubo challenges conventional paradigms of beauty and femininity through her exploration of duality. Her collection, "Dress Meets Body; Body Meets Dress and Becomes One," encapsulates the Japanese concept of *ma*, representing the dynamic energy that exists between the body and the garment. Yohji Yamamoto's assertion that his creations are co-produced by both the designer and the wearer further emphasizes the collaborative nature of fashion design.