Pen·e·tra·tion /ˌpenəˈtrāSH(ə)n/

 

Have you ever reminisced about your fond childhood memories? Like waiting for the taho vendor to pass by at the gate of your house in the morning or seeing your neighbor leaving his house with a rooster tucked into his arms and wondered where he’s going? These are some memories that sparked Kelvin Morales into creating this palette cleansing collection digging deep into his own childhood. His sense of Filipino pride took center stage informing the inspiration and concept. He celebrates Filipino culture through his embroidered shirts that played around with humour and identity through images that spark nostalgia, done with modern techniques and silhouettes. The playful characteristics of the collection pays homage to the fun and witty side of Filipinos. However, beyond the obvious references, the collection speaks volumes of the fading Filipino culture that we are neglecting to preserve. To quote the designer, “We are fucking our culture and society in many ways that merits and devalues each other. We are Filipinos, we are humans, our expressions and feelings are our common denominator. Let’s use it to preserve and promulgate our heritage and roots.” This explains the blue hand-painted shirt and moth embroidery detail symbolizing the literal fading of Filipino culture complimented by the structured pants and jackets that reveal the positive and negative sides of what is happening in our society. Kelvin Morales intricately weaved the good and bad of society into his collection to serve as a simple reminder that we should never forget the essence of being a Filipino. He embraced and fuelled this idea with a collection that patronises and promotes Filipino identity, culture, and history.