Koronadal City—A key fashion event in South Cotabato is happening during the Tnalak Festival this July, celebrating the workmanship and talent of local fashion designers.
Bugal 2020 is the first Tnalak Fashion Design Competition which will harness the unique beauty and versatility of the province’s emblem, the tnalak cloth.
Argie Asaria, Tourism Operations Officer I and the Committee Coordinator, says the competition is a creative hub that will help encourage the economic development of the fashion design industry using the tnalak cloth as a major material.
“The impact of this is to uplift the economic status of everybody who is involved in this chain like the abaca farmers, the weavers, the designers and most importantly, the Tboli pride.
Asaria, however, says point blankly that fashion as a medium of creativity requires cultural sensitivity.
“This will also help the designers to understand and uphold tradition, employ cultural appropriation and welcome innovation,” he emphasizes.
The committee selects the top 12 finalists. These finalists will undergo training and workshop on Tnalak Cloth Treatment.
The first-ever champion of this competition expects a P50, 000 cash prize. Each finalist will also receive a seed fund to complete their designs.
The executive committee this year presents the best runway look for the fashion designers’ works as one of the main events of the Tnalak Festival this year.
Project Runway Philippines finalist Jared Servano sits as the consultant of the competition.
“This is the best avenue to mentor budding designers on the proper protocols in using Tnalak,” he stressed out.
Servano adds that “We need to nurture incoming fashion designers because, after all, we are not getting younger. We need a new wave of designers who would love and respect the tnalak cloth.”
