Renee Salud to present Filipiniana gowns young FilAms will find ‘culturally hip’
June 27 show spotlights Salud’s ‘intricate masterpieces’
Renee Salud’s latest runway show is set for June 27, 7 p.m. at Double Tree by Hilton Hotel Newark at 128 Frontage Rd. in Newark.
Tataksaludnyc 2015 will feature collections that demonstrate intricate ways to use Philippine indigenous fabrics together with embroidery as well as new ways to wear the traditional Filipiniana terno.
“My show will put the spotlight on these intricate masterpieces, which makes a fashion statement on the exotic, regional influences of indigenous tribes in the Philippines and their rich accessorizing,” said Salud, fashion designer, TV host, international pageant mentor, and events organizer. “With these fabrics, I want to continue to push for the boundaries of design, weaving, and embroidery.”
In the beginning, a difficult life for this Fashion Ambassador
Salud said he has been advocating for the use of Philippine fiber in high fashion.
“I have been a staunch advocate of the use of fabrics such as piña, abaca, and the Magundanaons’ handwoven fabric, inaul, which have been ingrained in indigenous traditions dating back to the Spanish colonial period in the Philippines, have the strong potential to appeal to global markets,” he said.
At the same time that his show is promoting indigenous fabric, Tataksaludnyc 2015 will also introduce Filipiniana gowns that young Filipino Americans will find “culturally hip.”
“It’s a new trend in fashion called fusion, where we combine both pop and classic designs,” he said. “I want young Filipino Americans to be proud of their own culture by not forgetting the Filipiniana style of clothing, which is simple yet functional.”
Salud was born Renato Salud in Batangas, Philippines. On GMA TV’s “Powerhouse,” he revealed how he was bullied and discriminated because of his sexuality. His father, who squandered the family’s savings to gambling, took it hard to accept that his eldest son was gay.
“Because of a difficult life,” Salud said, he was not able to finish college.
“After second year in college, he started working for a popular department store at that time, where he started in the ‘bodega’ as an inventory assistant. Although he would have wanted to work in the sewing department, he didn’t complain and instead took advantage of all the lessons to be learned. He familiarized himself with the different types of cloths and linens. From there he worked his way through the store’s cutting and sewing department until he learned the ropes of the design and manufacturing business and decided to finally try it on his own.”
Salud’s creations have traveled the major fashion capitals, such as Tokyo, Taipei, Seville, and the Caribbean. He has showrooms in Manila.
Tataksaludnyc2015 is being presented by Fil-Am Who’s Who lifestyle magazine to benefit the “Feed the Children Program” of Catbalogan II Elementary School in Samar province in the Philippines.
For tickets ($85), contact Ollie David at (732) 499-7995 or Myrna Gutierrez (917) 502-9887.
