Iliana San Gabriel ‘24’s presentation, “Magandang Umaga!”, which translates to “Good Morning!” in Tagalog, was a wonderfully insightful look into the history and culture of Filipina fashion. Throughout her presentation, Iliana showcased her vast knowledge of the topic, being Filipina herself. As someone who previously had no such knowledge of the clothing worn by Filipina women, specifically the terno, Iliana’s demonstration of the evolution and development of this garment, initially commissioned by the wife of a dictator and evolving to an iconic part of Filipino culture, proved masterful.
Iliana detailed the arduous process of both designing and actually constructing her own ternos. She showcased the threading of the detachable armbands that connect the signature shoulder pads to the main body of the terno, and after many hours of work, she developed and altered three separate pieces of clothing.
Not only did Iliana study the history, development, creation, and crafting of the terno, but she also spoke on the issue of cultural representation.
As she described the terno, she simultaneously brought up her own experience with the lack of representation, quoting Filipina-American actress Ana Cruz Kanye talking about Barbie: “You know, she was gorgeous and American. And she represented that side. And I think growing up, I had always had some feeling that I was supposed to look like her. And because I didn’t, she didn’t really resonate with me.” Furthermore, Iliana touched on the representation of culture in general, bringing a few questions to the audience. First, she asked us what culture we felt we identified with, and then she asked how in tune we felt with that culture and how often we saw it represented. Through this discussion, she challenged the audience to think about the lack of depiction of her culture in popular media. This presentation was not only engaging but thoroughly educational and interesting, prompting the audience to think about more than just their culture, but each vibrant culture that manifests around them.
