Moving day.

Moving to a new domain. :) Click! Click! Click!
http://maraxchua.wordpress.com/

Music: I'm going through a phase....

and it's called TV on the Radio. :)

The New York music scene is what made me fall in love with NY (I'm more Paris

when it comes to fashion). Along with YYY's, The Strokes, Santigold, MGMT etc.,

TV on the Radio was high up on my list even though I do find their sound a little too

gritty for my effed up sunshine and rainbows and butterflies type of aesthetic. I just

like them because they're original and their experimental which I somehow can relate too.

I've known them since their "Staring at the Sun" days (still my favourite from them).

There are two version of this song. The other one doesn't have the people talking and the humming at the start... which I personally think completes the song.

This is a remake of YYY's "Modern Romance".... they get lots of brownie points from me for this one- it's just love!

Very nice fan made video btw.

They came out with a new album last April called, "Nine Types of Light", which I absoeffinlutely love!

I like that it's more pop than Dear Science... I'm such a huge fan of quality pop but quality pop

is becoming more and more an endangered specie. So thank you TV on the Radio being one of the last vestiges of good pop.

Here are some of my favourites from the album (I have at least 5 that I seriously want to post but I'm narrowing it down to 3 which I find extremely hard):

This is similar- ish to their previous sound in Dear Science. The video is love- it kinda

reminds me of Regina Spektors' *gasp* Samson video (the one with tons of paper art).

This is my second fave song from the album. The melancholy yet hopeful vibe

sounded like it was made for their then dying band member, Gerard Smith (RIP).

"Sunshine I saw you through the hanging vine

All memory of what was mine fading away
And as night heals the ground
And the moonlight steals the sound
I could leave suddenly unafraid"

This inched "Killer Crane" as my favourite of the whole album.

Only because I'm a sucker for songs about love lost and found and I love the video... it's deceptively normal... Plus I think that top the girl is wearing is from the Alexander Wang line. haha

"I'm gonna keep your whole heart

I'm gonna keep your whole heart

If the world falls apart,

Stil, I'm gonna keep your whole heart"

Fashion: Toys of my Childhood

Pattern I'm working on today... any guesses on what this is?

So I had a rather recent epiphany.While making this particular pattern and laying it out. I had this sudden pang in my gut and flashbacks started rolling. I had images of that sleepless night trying to finish this model with the assistance of my dad rolling like a reel inside my head...

It looked a lot like this. I remember the hull of the boat having a battery and motor compartment. No remote though. The lay outing looked very similar to this...

The pieces were held together with a square plastic frame and you had to individually cut the out of the frame either using a nail cotter or, my preferred method, twisting the pieces until the plastic holding it becomes weak and you can pull it out.

Don't you agree with me that the layout image has an uncanny similarity to the pattern image above or this pattern image below...

A hug and a kiss and a cookie for anyone who can figure out what this becomes. :D

And then I started remembering a time when the world around me didn't exist. The only things that mattered to me was getting a perfect score on my next quiz so I get paid 20php (pre-inflation; 100php was a huge deal then) ; and having a good time.

Playtime was full of make believe. I created my own world, but unlike most kids, I took it a notch further... I wold physically create my own world. 3D modeling was something second nature to me. My favourite toys always had something to to with building or problem solving while building .

Exhibit A. This was where is all started (I think)... I remember making mansions and castles and villages out of these.

And then I moved on to bigger things... Then I made 4+ foot buildings out of these.

And nice palaces and hotels for my Barbie too.

At the same time my love affair with Power Rangers robots started. I only really loved it because of the challenge of putting them together... I preferred to do them without the manual beside me.

This one is still on display in the bedroom upstairs. Went through a phase too.

And then the baking happened. And then the rest so they say is... writing is blog entry. :D

Soooo, this is my personal creation myth.

A step by step guide of how I came to be as a designer. It never was about the pretty colors but always about the way things are made. Ever since I started tinkering with the sewing machine. My question was always how this and that were done.

The progression from merely piecing things together to the act of making the puzzle pieces themselves and then piecing them together is the most natural thing. It's so natural that I never really even noticed the connection until recently! I've always thought my decision to pursue a career in clothing design was something random.

I could have on all counts went on and became a less specific designer of the industrial kind- doing anything and everything under the sun. It's the fact that you can do "magic" with any sewing machine is what made clothing more appealing.

The industry at large is still a very ugly one- both in front and at the back of the camera. I end up questioning why I'm here a lot of times. But in those moments when I'm in the thick of making and seeing pieces come together and take on a life of its own... I forget the ugliness and just get some sort of natural high similar to the feeling I get back when I was a child. Just the excitement and awe and satisfaction of being able to create and transform benign objects into something more than what they were.

On a lighter note. I'm ending by being a bit more interactive. Here's a question, "What toys/ objects did you play with during your kid years and have those toys been in some way reflective or helpful in your current profession now?

PICTURES ONE AND FOUR ARE PROPERTIES OF ME. THE REST ARE COLLECTED FROM VARIOUS PUBLIC SITES.

Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing Tumblr giveaway!

Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing is giving away free clothes!<3
What is at stake?
You can win an outfit (top+ skirt of your choice) from the Nitrogen Blossoms Collection (subject to availability and sizes). Each winner can only choose 2 items.There will only be 2 winners for this contest.
Here are the rules and mechanics to join:
1. This is only open to tumblr users based in the Philippines.
2. You must reblog this post.
3. Like Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing’s fan page.
4. Vote for Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing here (take note that likes is not = vote. find the heart to vote.:D)
5. If you have done everything above, send in my Ask your full name, email and tumblr so that I can check your entries and contact you if you win.
6. The winner will be chosen in random through the entries in my Ask box.
7. The winner will be announced on May 16, 2011.
The mechanics is really simple. So there! Good luck guys!:D
Spread the love, spread the word!<3
ps. if you have any questions, do not hesitate to message in my Ask.
comentários9 notes

Music: Origin of Love

From the "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" OST.

My friend posted this on her FB page. I instantly fell in love with it!

Released way back in 2001, it begs the question how the hell did I miss this. :)

These lines are just way too beautiful:

"Last time I saw you
We had just split in two.
You were looking at me.
I was looking at you.
You had a way so familiar,
But I could not recognize,
Cause you had blood on your face;
I had blood in my eyes.
But I could swear by your expression
That the pain down in your soul
Was the same as the one down in mine.
THAT'S THE PAIN,
CUTS A STRAIGHT LINE
DOWN THROUGH THE HEART;
WE CALLED IT LOVE."

The longing is plastered against this song in all red caps. You can feel it oozing. Just love this to bits!

It's really great jogging music too btw. :)

Fashion: Swan Song

Swan Song.

A folk myth about the first and last song a mute swan sings before it dies.

Also, an idiom referring to a final great 'act' before one death an interesting factor one has to consider is that the 'actor' has to know he's going to die.

An ironic name for a dress I consider my #0 or my first dress but I can't help associating the mood of the fabric to the said idiom. Plus it's a very very good reminder that a designer is only as good as his last dress...

Dress.

This dress is from my archives. Done way back in December 2008.

Dress is made of blue silk (most likely synthetic) with pleather detailing

and black wool base. All by Mara Chua. Leggings also by Mara Chua.

Shoes are store bought.

To contact:

chua.mara@gmail.com

Fashion: Black Cloud

My client, Lyan wanted a vintage themed tutu dress,
What makes this project so unique is the time element...
I had less than a week for this one.

Time.

Pressed for time, my best option was to utilise fabrics that were readily available in the studio. I used dupioni for the bodice. Obviously, a tutu dress isn't a tutu dress without the tulle skirt. Also, old lace and some leather that I cut into swallows for the embellishing.

Vintage.

I avoid doing or at least calling this a period piece as I feel like I'm disrespecting a certain era of fashion by not really capturing the substance but merely the form (plus it's very easy to go way over the top with period pieces and end up with a dress looking too costume-y so I guess my bit of reluctance is 'healthy'), With that in mind, I exercised a bit liberalism in the details to balance out that 'old world glamour' with something more current and unique and fun like steel zipper for closure and leather swallows.

Ultimately, my aim was for this to be a subtle but firm statement of who I am as a designer (as always, but I only seem to have articulated who I am and what I want to be as a designer a few days ago). And that is sensible but still clearly bespoke and one of a kind clothing.

For contact:

chua.mara@gmail.com

Fashion: Smaller and smaller Circles

Circle.

This headdress was made entirely of circle shapes of varying sizes.

Circle is prolly the most used shape in garment industry.

The way circle makes for the most perfect bias (championed by Madeline Vionnet, bias is a general term for items/clothes cut on the 45 degree angle of the cloth. Bias is loved by many as it lends much needed 'give' and allows fabric to fall more gracefully as opposed to the stiff hemlines landing on the cross-grain [the width of the cloth]); and it being the shape most flattering to the body- as circle has a natural tendency to follow the curves of our body; makes circle such a subject of exploration and experimentation by a lot of designers as circle seemingly promises myriads of possibilities and applications... from clothes (the best example I can give is the NYC avant garde collective of threeASFOUR) to drapes to embellishments (most ruffles start their lives as circles) which is the case in this blog entry.

Bespoke headdress made of dupioni and net circles.

By yours truly for my client Nicky who's attending a vintage themed party.

To contact.

Email: chua.mara@gmail.com

Food: Urameshi-ya

Ghost House.

That I believe is the literal translation of urameshi- ya... well, that is what I remember from the article I read that they pasted on the wall.

Located inside the most unassuming corner of 'Little Tokyo', a collective of Japanese restaurants and food stores beside Makati Cinema Square along Pasong Tamo Avenue. We, me and my travel buddy who shall be from this post on be named, Grumpy, discovered the place by accident (The reason why we don't have great pics too. We just went there to eat not pretend to be foodies on the prowl for something to place on their blogs, that job is covered by too many already. This place just deserves the special mention).

Tired of the usual mall fare, I wanted to try something new. It was my first time in Little Tokyo... and Little Tokyo can be pretty daunting for a first timer especially at the thick of dinner hour where all tables are placed so closed to each other at the courtyard it's almost impossible to maneuver you way from point A-B. Being first timers, we opted to just look around and then we stumbled upon Urameshi-ya a tiny yakiniku (grill) place at the far end of the court yard almost hidden behind a nice ish sushi bar.

What caught my eye is the pretty cool decor of the place. Shelves of Manga and Sake bottles reminds of that underground sake bar in East Village, NYC my ex tried to get me into but alas I was 19 and underaged then. :) Back to my current story, I was reluctant to eat there at first. My aim was to showcase the best of Manila to Grumpy, who is visiting Manila for the first time, I wanted to take him to good Japanese that in my book means 'good sushi' and there really isn't any sushi on their menu so warned the waitress in the cutest kimono uniform I've seen but well, I dunno what happened but we just decided to eat there. It was one hell of a good decision...

Plate after plate of thinly perfectly sliced perfect beef meant only to be grilled lightly then dipped in light soy and then eaten with the fluffiest Japanese rice. I'm afraid of committing the sin of being too poetic if I go on. Let's just leave it at: 'It's the best yakiniku I've ever had', is a statement that will never give justice to the amazingness of Urameshi-ya.

Urameshi-ya ain't cheap by the way. Their thrust is quality, near perfection top quality. And the difference is just so obvious when those strips of beef starts melting in your mouth. :)

I believe we had the Tarafuku set. The nice waitress (wonderful service by the place btw) will be there to help you out with the Japanese only menu. I did manage to decipher the drinks section which was mostly in katakana... I just had to brag. :D

This ended up to be Grumpy's favourite meal of the entire trip. My second.

Travel: To Paradise and Back

My official photog is currently at the hospital treating his infected (hopefully, nothing serious) foot. Until he decides to upload and share pics, I'm posting a pic I lifted from the net (ownership of the said photo isn't specified plus the photo appeared on more than one site) to give everyone a clue as to where I disappeared these last 15 or so days. :)

Travel: Fashion: Migrant

In a few hours, I won't be around the city and married to the laptop for a good number of days. :)

I'm leaving you guys with another piece from my 2009 'Migrant' collection.

The premise for the exhibit where 'Migrant' was included was to showcase both Filipino young blood and Filipino indigenous textile to the very international audience of New York City.

Taking a modernist, practical and what was then relatively new approach, I mixed local textiles and weaves like pinya and jute with leather, wool and knit; and making clothes that will undoubtedly be considered as daywear. (The exhibit was staged September, so I was thinking Fall/ Winter ;plus ironically, despite coming from a tropical country, I excel more in designing outerwear and leatherwear.)

I expressly chose the theme 'Migrant' both for its topical relevance in the Philippine and American setting; and on a more practical level, its relevance to travel and wash friendly clothing. Easy to wear clothing you can throw in your luggage and wear in different occasions- which is my usual train of thought when making my clothes as I love repeating my clothes and largely frown upon disposable trendy things.

About the outfit: Cocoon jacket made of leather and jute. Cotton double head tank top. Pinya and wool pencil bubble skirt with steel zipper fastening.

Music: Hollywood

By Marina and The Diamonds.

One of the very few times Hollywood will ever be mentioned in this blog. :)

Hollywood represents what for me is beauty for beauty's sake which quite frankly is

unparalleled in its vapidity. This is saying a lot considering I already find the industry that

I'm in pretty shallow.

Moving on, the album version contains 5 extra lines you won't hear in the 'main' version...

5 extra lines that I find super witty and abso-effin love ( I promised myself not to cuss in this blog.

I have high hopes I get some sort of advertiser someday... We all know how they feel about dirty words- those greenbuck doling ones:))! Especially that part where she starts singing:

"Thirty-Nine years old with a mile high sheen
trying to stimulate a mind that is slowly starting to decay,
I itch my skin, I jump up and say
"Lady, I know why your thoughts turn grey"

Plus you gotta love the future classic line:"I'm obsessed with the mess that's America." :)

"

More Relevant Matters: The Cost of Your Dress and That Nice Lady Who Makes It

Stemmed from a conversation I had with my mom earlier today.

Injustice.

I really find great injustice in how people treat the local fashion designers... especially when it comes to the labor side of things- which involve 2 kinds of people under my direct employ

a) the seamstresses and b) the pattern maker/ cutter (the embroiderers and embellishers and the iron/ steam lady and the quality control are excluded in this discussion because most the the time the same people double for the said jobs and of course, for the purpose of simplicity.)

It infuriates me that people (clients) can take for granted the extremely highly specialized and skilled type of labor these people (seamstresses and pattern makers) can offer and ask for DISCOUNTS. Armed with the thinking that sewing and pattern making are 2 very easy jobs! How dare they?!?!

Here's a reality check:

I function as the designer and the master pattern maker in the studio.

I've been doing this for at least five years (3 years semiprofessionally and 2++ and counting professionally.) In that time span, an entry level employee in any corporate office setup can make his/her way to a junior manager position on average.

Pattern making for the uninitiated involves geometry. I employ 2-3 of the 12 postulates every time I do my patterns. Yes, aside from the pythagorean theorem and pi, I also use the sin, cos , tan functions. While, cutting involves precision, cutting right before the outline, nothing more, nothing less.

To be honest, I don't mind being paid less than a junior manager because I acknowledge the fact that the bulk of the labor comes from my seamstresses.

Nice ladies who expertly and perfectly piece together intricate puzzle pieces made of fabric to make that dress, YOUR DRESS. AND that's just the beginning... I could go on and on and on about the 1/16" double hemming, the hand draping, the blind stitching, the hand finishing and those zippers! that you think takes no more than 5 minutes to sew can make fledging designers cry with frustration. Let's not forget, you want SWAROVSKI on your dress too! that's countless hours of individual application of crystals and beads.

Here's an even bigger reality check, any man can till the soil and plant rice stalks. Any man can fry chicken, burger and fries. Any man can mix up coffee and cream and syrup and reheat that puff pastry in the display. Any man can lay hollow blocks on top of one another and put cement in between (fine, any strong man can. I went through a bit of construction worker phase too, so I know how hard it is). BUT, to sew a perfectly straight line takes weeks of practice and then you move on to sewing a perfectly curved line and then to piecing fabrics together while you avoid puckering at all cost... NOT any man can do that.

And to pay them 402 PHP/day (minimum wage in Manila, Philippines, that's around 9-10USD for the foreign readers)?!?! Tell me junior manager how your ass would feel if you get paid the same amount for that much work. Take note, my seamstress might me the more useful and productive employee between the two of you.

So the next time you go to your local designer. Please think about this. All of us, me and my seamstresses would have to shoulder that discount you ask for. We can't make our prices like the ones they have in SM Department Store because a) we don't have the capacity to produce enough to simply demand a wholesale price and b) you don't have the capacity to buy 1000pcs of the same design per color per size to even dare to demand an SM price.

Please bear in mind as well that what you're paying for isn't just a dress but also personalized service. Don't expect me to dish prices like ZARA because unlike ZARA, I make clothes that will fit you and only you. Unlike ZARA, your dress is one of a kind.

Ask for discounts if you can make your own dress and still think it's a piece of cake. Until then, you avail of my or any of my co designer's services precisely because it's beyond your capacity and skill to make a dress. It's high time you value the hard work that goes into what you wear because honey, it's a lot more complicated than you could ever imagine.

Music:This Year

By The Mountain Goats.

"I am gonna make through this year, If it kills me."

Nuff said. Prolly one of the best endurance jogging song. :)

More Relevant Matters: STOP TRANSPHOBIA/HOMOPHOBIA IN U.P. DILIMAN!

Below is a transcript of the letter submitted by Hender Gercio to the Department of European Languages, College of Arts and Letters, University of the Philippines Diliman. Hender Gercio is our former Punong-Babaylan (President).

------------------------

I am posting this because I want everyone to know how transphobia/homophobia is very much alive and kicking in the Philippine educational setting, even in the classrooms of the top state university. I currently have a teacher who refuses to address me as female in class due to her religious belief. Below is the complaint I submitted to our department head.

---

February 7, 2011

TO: Prof. Wystan de la Peña

Chairperson

Department of European Languages

College of Arts and Letters

University of the Philippines Diliman

RE: Incident Report and Request for Action

Dear Sir:

Please allow me to introduce myself through this letter. I am presently a junior undergraduate student pursing a degree in European languages (with French as specialization) in your Department. I was also part of your EL170 (Techniques of Translation) class during the summer of 2009.

I also identify as transgender, as a transsexual woman to be exact. I was assigned male at birth, but I have undergone gender transition and now live full time as female. Should you require more information to familiarize yourself with these concepts, an FAQ sheet published by the American Psychological Association about transgender individuals and gender identity is attached to this letter.

I would like to seek your assistance in addressing an issue that has come up during my classes with a member of the DEL faculty, Ms. Dominique “Nikki” Del Corro. I am currently her student in French 30-31 (Advanced Spoken French; Tuesdays to Fridays, 2:30-4:00PM) and EL 181 (Directed Language Activities: Practicum; Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11:30AM-1:00PM).

On January 27, 2011, after our EL 181 class, Ms. Del Corro approached me and asked when it would be convenient for me to have a talk with her. I inquired about the purpose of the meeting and she told me not to worry and that it was something related to my subjects French 30-31 and EL 181. We had the discussion on February 2, 2011 after our French 30-31 class.

Ms. Del Corro began by saying that she noticed me correcting my classmates whenever they referred to me using male pronouns (in French: il, lui) or male forms of address (in French: Monsieur). I replied that I identified and socially presented myself as female, and that addressing me as a woman was the appropriate thing to do. She then asked me about my biological sex. I told her that my legal sex (i.e. the sex/gender marker on my legal documents) was male, but I argued that this was irrelevant and ultimately misleading, because my legal sex did not accurately reflect my real-life identity, that of being a transsexual female.

Ms. Del Corro then admitted to me that she did not feel comfortable addressing me as female in class. She said “I am a Christian, and this is against my religious beliefs.” She also told me that she cannot separate being a Christian from who she was as a teacher. She then continued that she believed that homosexuality was a sin, and it was due to this reason that she cannot allow herself to accept and address me as female (I actually interrupted her to say that I was transgender, not homosexual/gay, but that did not affect her stance). Our conversation ended in a standstill, between my right to be recognized in my chosen gender in class and her right to her religious belief. We finally agreed to escalate this to you for a decision.

In the section “Academic Freedom of Faculty Members,” the UP Diliman Faculty Manual states that

2.1 Members of the teaching staff enjoy academic freedom; Provided however, That no instructor in the University shall inculcate sectarian tenets in any of the teachings, nor attempt either directly or indirectly, under the penalty of dismissal by the Board of Regents, to influence students or attendants at the University for or against any particular church or religious sect or political party.

By insisting on refusing to address me as female in class due to her religious belief, Ms. Del Corro is clearly succumbing to religious bias while inside the classroom. In addressing me as male (via the use of male pronouns, masculine forms of address, masculine adjectives, etc.) in front of the entire class, she deliberately invalidates my gender identity and implicitly propagates her religious belief that “homosexuality/transgenderism is wrong/evil/immoral/sinful and should not be accepted.” Since she is the authority figure inside the classroom, her legitimization of this practice (of refusing to recognize me as female) also indirectly influences my co-students in adopting the same homophobic/transphobic religious view.

Ms. Del Corro could also be found in violation of some of the articles of the “Code of Ethics for Faculty Members” in the UP Diliman Faculty Manual. Members of the faculty of the University of the Philippines should commit to:

III. Promote a strong sense of nationalism and enduring concern for social justice, gender equality, cultural values, community welfare, and protection of the environment;

Promoting concern for social justice necessitates an awareness of the complex issues of power, privilege and prejudice in today’s society. Instead of advocating to change structures that exclude groups and individuals (such as sexual and gender minorities), Ms. Del Corro, through her homophobic/transphobic views, participates in their further oppression. In judging my female gender identity as “invalid” just because I am transgender, she definitely does not promote gender equality (between transgender and non-transgender females) either.

Consenting to Ms. Del Corro’s actions also runs contrary to the cultural values and traditions of the Department of European Languages, of the University of the Philippines Diliman, and of the secular Philippine state.

Our Department, considered as the home of experts in European languages and cultures, should supposedly be full of people who are well-versed in European affairs, and who have been exposed to and influenced by Europe’s liberal, humanistic and progressive climate. Europe has achieved leaps and bounds when it comes to advocating for equal rights for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) people. The European Court for Human Rights recognizes transsexuality as a protected characteristic under Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Last year, France has become the first nation in the world to drop transsexualism from its list of mental disorders. DEL also proudly embraces the sexual and gender diversity of its faculty and staff, as evidenced by the number of its employees who are openly gay. It strikes me as highly ironic how Ms. Del Corro, herself an alumna of two highly progressive and radical educational institutions (UP Diliman and the University of Paris-Sorbonne), could continue to hold such bigoted beliefs about LGBT people.

The founding of the University of the Philippines Babaylan, the first and biggest organization of LGBT students in the country, in 1992 and its consistent recognition by university authorities year after year, demonstrates UP Diliman’s commitment to supporting its LGBT students in their struggle for equal rights within and outside the campus. The Diliman Gender Office conducts gender sensitivity training sessions to organizations, university institutions, and interested individuals. The UP Office of Guidance and Counseling offers its services to students who are in need of support in matters of coming out, relationships and other LGBT-related issues. The RGEP class Social Science 3 (Exploring Gender & Sexuality) provides a means for all UP students to understand and appreciate the diversity of genders and sexualities that exist within nature. These are just some of the initiatives that clearly portray UP as an LGBT-friendly campus.

Philippine society, heavily influenced by the Christian doctrine that Ms. Del Corro has invoked above, has been traditionally hostile to the LGBT community. The State should clearly remain separate from the Church, however, and little by little we are seeing advances in this campaign for secularism. Early last year, the Supreme Court overturned the Commission on Elections decision disqualifying the LGBT party-list group Ang Ladlad from seeking a congressional seat on grounds of “immorality.” This recognition of LGBT people as a minority group with legitimate concerns is a big statement on the part of the Philippine government in distancing itself from religious dogma. House Bill 956, seeking to prohibit a wide-range of discriminatory policies and practices against Filipino LGBTs, is currently pending in Congress.

V. Instill in our students the passion for learning, the discipline attendant to the pursuit of excellence, intellectual honesty, and respect for the humane;

“Humane” is defined as “marked by compassion, sympathy, or consideration for humans or animals” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). Choosing to continue addressing me as male in class (either because of her religious belief or because my legal sex remains to be male), regardless if I insisted that I self-identify as female, is anything but compassionate, sympathetic or considerate. Ms. Del Corro is aware of how mentally and emotionally distressing the effect of being misgendered is, especially on transgender individuals such as myself, yet she chooses to misgender me anyway while invoking her religious freedom. This is definitely not the brand of “respect for the humane” that you would like your teachers to instill in their students.

VIII. Reject activities and interests that interfere with our responsibilities as faculty members and conflict with the interests of the University;

As a language teacher, Ms. Del Corro’s primary duty is towards her students, us language learners. I cannot claim to be an expert on this area, but I am sure that the effect of the classroom environment on the language learning rate of students is huge. It is important that language learners feel relaxed, safe and welcome before any learning can take place. How can a transgender student like me feel welcome in class if my teacher refuses to recognize my gender identity, which is integral to me as a person? How can I feel relaxed when I feel mortified every time I hear male pronouns, forms of address and adjectives being used to refer to me? How can I feel safe when I know that at the back of my teacher’s mind, she thinks that I am immoral and that I am condemned to go to hell when I die?

Religious prejudice has no place within the classroom’s four walls, especially if it is a UP classroom. I am therefore demanding, in behalf of all present and future transgender students of this public and non-sectarian university, for my chosen gender identity to be affirmed and respected. I implore you to exercise your professional authority over Ms. Del Corro, and require her to treat and address me as female in class (through the use of female pronouns, feminine forms of address, feminine adjectives, etc.). I hope for a speedy resolution of this concern, and I await the opportunity to report to your office and have a dialogue with Ms. Del Corro and yourself. Thank you and more power.

Sincerely,

Hender Gercio

BA European Languages

Student Number 2000-xxxxx

Email: ---------

Mobile: -------

----

UPDATE: I had the dialogue with Ms Del Corro and Mr de la Peña last February 18 (Friday) 4PM. The chairperson informed me that he cannot require Ms Del Corro to address me as female since my legal gender remains to be male (as it will forever be unfortunately, unless a Philippine gender recognition law gets passed) and that there was no university policy addressing transgender students. He also stated that Ms Del Corro did not violate any of the university rules (i.e. academic freedom, code of ethics).

I am frustrated by how easily respect, political correctness and common sense get thrown out the window in favor of a mere technicality. I am angered by the unnerving tolerance of university officials to transphobia/homophobia, allowing bigotry to fluorish under the guise of religious freedom, depriving LGBT students of their human rights in the process. I am horrified, that with the absence of regulations that ensure the safety and well-being of LGBT students in Philippine schools, that we will continue to be moving targets of bullying, harassment and violence.

As of now, I am still waiting for the signed written copy of Mr de la Peña's decision so that I can escalate the case. I hope this finally opens the door to the active lobbying for LGBT rights to be recognized in UP Diliman and other educational institutions across the country.

My pronouns are MY pronouns. I don't care who your God is, but I will not let you take my gender identity away from me.

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You can best show your support and solidarity, access more releveant infromation, and help by joining this page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stop-Homophobia-and-Transphobia-in-UP-Diliman/192126547475704

Fashion: Migrant

Digging through my archives as of the moment. This dress was done way back in 2009 for my exhibit in New York City. Inspired by the yearly emigration of jellyfishes to the banks of Bantayan Island, Cebu during the month of May where I used to spend my childhood summers and the parallelism of this phenomenon with the Filipino diaspora ('nomadism').

About the dress:

Dress is made of (very expensive for 3rd world/ developing country standards) pure linen and sating bias strips the lining is very delicate impossible to work with charmeuse.

Music: Impossible

By the Swedish group, Shout Out Louds.

The Swedes makes amazingly good pop. Very easy to listen to.

I loooovvvveee listening to this song while I'm working

and the almost 7 minute long song is usually on repeat.:)

Fashion: 003, Calayan-Sevilla. 12/20/2010

A little late a post. :)

Held last December 20, 2010 in Hotel Intercontinental Manila,

the event was an intimate exchange of vows.

Marriage isn't an available option for these two wonderful

loving people. As the Philippines doesn't have Same-sex Marriage laws

and to some extent, Gender Identity Recognition provisions in the constitution.

To this point, the only real 'advancement' in the rights protection

of the local LGBT ( Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) community

is the still-yet-to-be-passed more than a decade old Anti Discrimination Bill...

I salute Lalen and Selina for being courageous in showing their commitment

to one another despite the moderately hostile environment of conservative Philippine society.

About the dress:

I was thinking of clouds when I made this dress. :)

Credits:

Bride and groom both in Mara Chua.

Photographs are a mix. My own cam and Nice Print Photography.

Fashion: Cotton

A preview of my client Patti's grad ball dress.
It's a double dress with a detachable long skirt.
She was less specific about the design of this dress so
I did exercise quite a bit of liberalism in designing/making this one. :)

I don't really see myself as the go to designer for pretty feminine dresses.
I love my edge. haha. Yeah, as you might have guessed, the color and the material isn't exactly my thing. Sooo, in this particular exercise I tired achieve compromise (femininity and edge) by creating soft geometries.

The dress is made of around 19 yards of chiffon. Dull satin base.

19 yards coz I did at least 3 layers of chiffon per skirt. I'm not a fan of single layer chiffon overlay. It's not diaphanous enough. hahaha (I would have used ethereal but diaphanous is a more apt description of the effect I wanted to achieve)... If I had more chiffon I'd have gone all the way and made 6 layers and made do without a base to really get that light airy effect.

The bodice is 100% hand pleated.

Also, loved the fact that my base is a few tones darker. It give the impression that the dress is glowing.

Music: I Follow Rivers

I Follow Rivers

In the running for the best song and video of 2011. :)

Fashion: Anatomy of a Prom Dress

My wonderful prom girl Patti was practical about what she wanted. She wanted a dress that she could wear more than once. It was decided to do the ball skirt separately and have a nice litte bubble dress as the main dress. I also added a draped detachable single sleeve whose draft you can see in Pic4 to make the dress even more versatile.

Fashion: Works In Progress. Pattern vs Hand Draping

PIC 1. Dresses in their current state.

PIC 2 &3. Their previous lives (the flat worm like paper patterns is the red dress now, the white dress obviously being the white ):)

The picture of the 2 dresses showcase an interesting POV on construction. Both dresses are 'draped' or more accurately, have drapes. The white (current state in pictures 1 while it's previous life is in picture 2), is draped with hand while the bodice is on the dress from. The red (current life in pics 1, while, yes, those 2 caterpillar shaped brown papers in pic 3 are its blueprint), purely generated from flat paper pattern. Both have their pros and their cons (flat and hand draping). I'm personally more comfortable using the paper pattern. I love precision and being able to replicate my clothes. Lets just put it at that :)