Wedding Digest Philippines Weddings. More fun In the Philippines Edition | Page 40

Filipiniana Designs
Go Global

with
Text by Koko Tamura

Special Feature
Photo by: Direk Lambert Pangilinan
Venue: Le Blanc Antipolo
HMUA: Maws Francisco Diaz

Singapore, USA, Australia, UAE. And the list
keeps on growing.
Those are the places where the Philippine
wedding gowns and “barong” travelled to in the
last couple of years through Ms. Meldy Mondez
De Guzman, our featured designer- entrepreneur
from Laguna, Philippines. Last September 28,
2013. Ms Meldy was one of the awardees of
Golden Globe Awards for Business Excellence,
held at the Manila Hotel, specifically for Best
Quality Wedding Gowns and Barong Maker for
2013.

“Barong” is the native name for the mechanically
woven silky fabric from banana. Variably, the
fabric is called “piña” for the silk woven out of
another fruit, the pineapple. Whether jusi or
piña, the exquisitely woven silk would have its
entirely added value with the finely hand-crafted
embroidery by native folks of the Philippines,
Interchangeably they have become the unique
fabric more popularly called barong for the
traditional costumes of the Philippines. Because
of the symbolism, garments and designs out of
barong have been called Filipiniana.
Now, for wedding ensembles imagine this....
.....Cream silk in its translucent glory, sprinkled
with alluring designs and embroidery of flowers
and flora..... Hugging, caressing, flowing and
floating around a beautiful bride as she marches
down the aisle. Laces and chiffon are common
materials used for bridal gowns but they only
come as a far second to the embroidered barong
which is uniquely regal and elegant. One must
see a finished wedding gown of embroidered
barong to be blown away by its exquisite beauty.