The barong and the camisa, garments often viewed as formal or ceremonial, were examined as working costume pieces during the latest run of the Costume Design and Construction Laboratory for Philippine Theater, a workshop organized by the Cultural Center of the Philippines in partnership with Slim’s School of Fashion and Arts of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde.
The laboratory, known as “Coslab,” brought together 20 fashion designers and clothing technicians from across the country to study the construction and evolution of traditional Filipino men’s attire, particularly barong pieces from the 1800s and camisas from the early 1900s. The program was held under the CCP’s Technical Theater and Design Training Program.
Unlike previous editions that focused on the Traje de Mestiza and the 1920s terno, this year’s sessions turned attention to mens attire, tracing how fabric, cut and embroidery reflected changing social and cultural influences. Participants examined how the barong adapted over time, absorbing Western tailoring techniques while retaining indigenous materials and ornamentation.
The workshop was conducted at MakerSpace Benilde, a facility of the Benilde School of Environment and Design. Participants were introduced to historical references through an exhibition of barong and camisa pieces, which allowed close study of embroidery, fabric choices and construction methods.
The garments were sourced from the collections of Gino Gonzales, a 2024 Gawad CCP Para sa Sining awardee and founding artistic director of “TernoCon,” critic and academician Nicanor Tiongson, antique collector Mike Santos and The Ramon Obusan Folkloric Foundation. The pieces served as technical and visual references rather than display objects.
Lectures and demonstrations focused on pattern-making and tailoring principles specific to Filipino men’s clothing. Gonzales led the sessions, drawing from his experience designing costumes and sets for more than a hundred theater productions in the Philippines and abroad, including works staged in Singapore, China, Taiwan, Japan and the United States.
Tiongson provided historical context on the development of the barong, outlining how materials, silhouettes and decorative elements shifted across periods. Gonzales followed with discussions on later adaptations, including influences from Western fashion and innovations introduced in the 20th century.
Equipped with fresh insights straight from the experts, the participants were challenged to replicate the blue-striped piña barong from the 1800s, the yellow cañamazo camisa with pocket from the 1920s to 1930s, and the jusi Filipino Barong from the 1970s. They were mentored by award-winning fashion designers and TernoCon medalists Abdul Gaffar Dianalan, Windell Madis, and Dinnes Obusan.
The laboratory concluded with a presentation of completed works, followed by a recognition ceremony for fellows and mentors. Certificates were awarded by CCP Production Design and Technical Services Division Chief Culture and Art Officer and “TernoCon 2025” artistic director Ricardo Eric Cruz, DLS-CSB Chancellor Benhur Ong and Slim’s School of Fashion and Arts director and Benilde Fashion Design and Merchandising educator Christine Cheryl Benet.
The 2025 cohort included artists, educators, Coslab alumni and fashion designers from the National Capital Region, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, reflecting a range of regional perspectives on costume-making and traditional dress.
