Known for his spirited, sculptural designs, Macasinag reflects on why it's important to produce &mdash; and master &mdash; the basics.&nbsp;

PHOTOGRAPHY Sofia Hurtado
After a series of abstract, saturated, and sculptural work, young designer Jude Macasinag feels that it's natural to veer towards reexamining the fundamentals of clothing, trying to understand their roles within wardrobes and why, as someone who makes clothes, it's important to produce &mdash; and master &mdash; the basics. Enter his latest collection, titled Vanitas.

In Western art history, vanitas is a genre of art that uses symbolism to express of the fleeting nature of life. Utilizing aesthetic allegorical symbols, vanitas alludes to the worth (or lack thereof) of materialism and decadence. Macasinag also looked to Philippine brutalist architecture as inspiration, representative of systematic corruption, a grim and realistic reminder of human detriment.

The contrast of imposing visual forms, whether in architecture or in painting, permeates throughout the collection, observing traces of decay on a piece alongside studying its materiality and questioning its design functions.
"The past couple of months for me have been quite heavy," Macasinag openly admits. "On a very personal note, there's a looming feeling in which I feel like I am unable to work on my craft right, that I am unable to communicate through my medium, or that my previous output feels terribly superfluous."

"Maintaining a brand at [the age of] 23 isn't exactly easy, especially when it's not impossible that my next collection could be my last," Macasinag continues. "The previous months have been a constant reflection towards that, an attempt [at] examining the value of my practice. I'm reminded of how the privilege to create can be rescinded by the necessity to survive."

Altogether, Vanitas could be the culmination of a basic wardrobe, one that satirizes itself but also exhibits the realism of wear and tear. Macasinag concludes: "But, as if it personally answers my questions on the value of [my craft], I'll leave it at this for now."

Jude Macasinag Redefines Basics With 'Vanitas'

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