Stylist: A Misnomer

It’s easy enough to echo what a national artist for literature recently said about contemporary Pinoy culture – that it’s shallow.  But I won’t go there.  Suffice it to say, the perception is all generational and anecdotal; shallowness, not a national malady.  Though I’ve just witnessed mediocrity in a production meeting back in my agency.  I hope there’s nothing more to the person’s laziness.  A sociological dissertation should not be necessary.

This woman calls herself a wardrobe stylist.  She presents pegs cut out from U.S. fashion magazines.  She uses all the clichés I’ve been hearing since I was an advertising trainee:  hip, young, aspirational, cool, a representation of the brand’s colors.  She stops there.  I could’ve done that myself and gotten the hefty fee she’s charging us.  There’s no attempt to put the costume design in proper perspective.

Anyone who dares to call himself a stylist must understand the essence of styling, and that’s in the storytelling part.   He must flesh out the characters in the film, and give the film a visual life through costumes.  It’s not just about what’s in vogue, what he himself would like to wear, or what’s easily available in Landmark.  It’s not stereotyping – a call center dude would wear this, a class AB working professional would that.  Dude or Inday, define the character with his wardrobe!

Sometimes I think some stylists are not as motivated to do research for contemporary characters.  They’re more attracted to the creation of elaborate costumes from decades past.   But creating modern wear for film is much more challenging.  They need intelligence, restraint and subtlety in sourcing costumes for contemporary clothes that support character development.

In his eulogy to Don Escudero, one of the greatest art directors in Pinoy cinema (Oro, Plata, Mata his best work), director Peque Gallaga recounted, When we sat down on the thorny problem of what Daniel Fernando was going to wear in Scorpio Nights, and we were fully aware that he was going to spend an irritating amount of movie time in his underwear, I opted to go sociological and historical: this was the time of bikini briefs in zebra stripes and leopard spots.  Don again said no. “He is going to wear classic white Jockey briefs.” And those white Jockey briefs ended up defining Daniel’s character totally and completely.
   Yeah, it wouldn’t make sense to garb him in super sexy briefs.  He was a voyeur, hidden, not as yet sexually adventurous, not comfortable about showing off his body in zebra to the woman he covets.

That’s a smart answer to a seemingly simple wardrobe issue.  I wish I’d hear something as informed next time from someone who dares call himself a wardrobe stylist.