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BLOG UPDATE!

As a treat to our loyal followers, we are giving away this awesome and beautifully crafted Mousepad with Manansala Fisherman print by FREEWAY!

All you have to do is read this blog post contributed by the equally-fashionable Renan Pacson and tell us what you think about his post and leave a comment below.

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It was a great night of Filipino arts and fashion. Fashionalistic clothing brand Freeway paid tribute to National Artist of the Philippines in Visual Arts Vicente Manansala by incorporating his paintings and vibrant colors to a 22-piece sumptuous collection. Glorietta 5 main atrium was filled with spectators as 14 of KUNST Pilipino Artists performed a live sketching and painting of guests before the main event started.

Mannequins clad in Freeway x Manansala collection welcomed guests and served as teasers of the spectacle that is yet to come. Pretty girls in fashion-forward clothes filled the entire place, which just proved the success of Freeway as the go-to-brand of fashion-conscious ladies. I’m glad to see familiar faces, so I took my seat along with fellow bloggers – Shekinah (of bloggermanila.com) and Marco (of pinoymanila.com).

My heart skipped a beat when madam chuva- Cecil Zamora-Van Straten entered the place (i’m a big chuvanetic!) Then the hosts of the night came after:  Tim Yap in his customized one-of-a-kind Freeway x Manansala black blazer and the reed-thin “becky” queen Divine Lee looking über-fierce in her Freeway x Manansala sublimation top, ostrich feathered black mini skirt and the hottest shoes in town- Kermit Tesoro.

A short clip was shown telling the colorful story of “Mang Enteng“; from his childhood days, to his struggling years as an artist; then his rise to fame and success as one of the purveyors of the art movement in the Philippines (now that’s some art studies 101 for everyone).

After the film came the big fashion spectacle! A huge LCD screen served as the backdrop flashing the vibrant paintings of Vicente Manansala. One by one models sashayed clad in FREEWAY x Manansala collection. I was literally at the edge of my seat as each look was a sight to behold! The models looked like they came straight out of Manansala’s paintings, the birds of paradise pinned on their tresses was a lovely touch. Hands-down to Freeway for cleverly incorporating and being able to translate the art of Manansala to wearable pieces for the women of today. I could audibly hear gasps and sighs as each piece looked more desirable than the next. The whole place was flooded with loud round of applause as the fashion show came to an end.

After the fashion show, everyone got a deeper insight into the creative world of Vicente Manansala through the presence of very special guests. Maritess Mendoza-Pineda (President of Friends of Manansala Foundation) shared her personal stories being a close friend of the artist himself, where she (among other supporters) would raid “Mang Enteng‘s” place whenever it’s his birthday (it was their reward for greeting him at exactly 12:01 on his birthday).

Ronna Manansala,  the grand daughter of Vicente Manansala.  shared her fondest memories of her Lolo Enteng. Hosts Divine Lee and Tim Yap asked Ronna to share things that not everyone know of his grandfather. She laughingly shared how her Lolo Enteng would like to watch the television with the fluorescent light on but would also wear his sun visor to keep away the light from directly hitting his eyes (very odd indeed!).  She also shared how her grandfather would like his feet to be rubbed with Tiger balm whenever he is watching the TV.

Cedie Lopez-Vargas of The Lopez Museum (that houses an extensive collection of Manansala pieces) shared valuable tips about art and acquiring art pieces. Divine Lee then asked what would be the best tip for people considering to buy their first piece of art, “There is no wrong or correct way of looking at art; it’s the way that it speaks to you“. Ms. Cedie also left everyone with the message that, “actually the best and most inexpensive way to get a piece of art is through this ingenuity of Freeway’s National Artists’ Collectors Series“. Now that’s one valid (and artfully patriotic) excuse to start hoarding the collection.

**Freeway x Manansala National Artists’ Collectors Series Collection will be available in Freeway stores starting October 21. Men’s collection would also be released (eeek! Can’t wait!).

Our contributor,  Renan Pacson, is a fashion designer and blogger. He is currently one of the Hot Young Designers of 2011. He blogs at  http://renanjaypacson.wordpress.com/.

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Renan Pacson

October 24, 2011 at 12:20 pm

@Marlon So,
yes…under same company : )

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