FRIENDS, FASHION, FORWARD

Like most great friendships, designers Jaz Cerezo and Mark Bumgarner could not have been any more different, from their personalities, background, and approach to design. However, they both have their share of celebrity clientele and a burning passion for putting Philippine fashion in the global spotlight. Together, they inspire one another to even greater heights

- STEF JUAN

WHEN DID YOUR FASHION JOURNEY BEGIN?

JAZ CEREZO: Project Runway Philippines, the first season. I think that’s back in 2008. And it opened up a lot of doors for me. Then I joined Philippine Fashion Week. Basically, that’s where it started. But before that, I was already a designer. Our family business in Dagupan is fabrics and textiles. So, it was a natural course for me to be in the fashion industry. But I took up fine arts in FEU. And then I majored in advertising, but I wanted to do fashion talaga. So, I took up dressmaking at Slims [Fashion School] to learn how to construct clothes.

MARK BUMGARNER: Me, completely different from how Jaz started. I started out not even in the industry, as you know. But after looking for a different career from racing, I found myself immersed in the fashion industry, but more so behind the scenes. A lot of my friends were working at fashion shows. And I would actually just go with them and hang out backstage and help out. And one day, I just decided to do it. I did short courses here and there. I did go to Slims for a bit. I did some short courses in CSM (Central Saint Martins) for a few summers in intervals.

WHAT IS YOUR DESIGN IDEOLOGY OR FASHION IDENTITY?

JC: I suppose it’s a mix of sexy and classy. It has to exude a certain sultriness. When I’m making clothes for a collection or for myself, parang ganyan: borderline sexy but not vulgar.