The Valera Redux

Design genius Ramon Valera, the first National Artist for Fashion, is celebrated in a 24-piece ready to wear collection by Freeway, a local brand that offers clothing and accessories that follow current international trends at reasonable price points. Valera’s signature creative cut, grand silhouette, unusual colorization, and opulent but tasteful embellishment are reinterpreted and given renewed relevance in the company’s Valera, National Artist Collection-- the fourth installment of Freeway’s successful National Artist Collectors Series.

a bacolod grand dame by amorsolo

i just saw two beautiful Fernando Amorsolo portraits here in Bacolod. i don’t have permission to post full figure photos of the paintings now, i’ll do that as soon as i acquire it.

both 150 cm x 85 cm portraits are of one of this city’s most beautiful grand dame painted in 1960. the first frame depicts her dancing the “fandango sa ilaw” in a white ramon valera duchess satin “terno” with “serpentina” skirt, deep indigo lace “sobrefalda” and matching “alampay”. a small glass lit with oil and wick in each hand and a third glass balanced on her head gracefully emphasizes the elegant figure’s dexterity in dance. 

the second frame casually portrays the lady in a matte gold terno, also by valera, with  fitted bodice and side draped skirt. the detail of her golden brocade footwear peeps out from under the rolled hem. amorsolo achieves beautiful contrapostu with the subject’s head turned three quarters away from the viewer and her left arm elongated to curve down effortlessly, fingers lightly pinching her gown. this portrait is in good condition, unfortunately, the other one i mentioned earlier is not.