Backstage pass to nostalgia with Rhett Eala

It’s been a while since I’ve gone backstage at a fashion show; it used to be like a makeshift home for me when I was a model. While waiting, it was a place to eat, take a snooze, do homework and sometimes cram for an exam. It wasn’t always comfortable, oftentimes it was poorly lit, crowded and cramped, but it was my refuge before the show began.

Rhett Eala was gracious enough to give me backstage access before his recent 25th anniversary show at White Space. The area was brightly lit and the mood was intense, filled with nervous anticipation just like in the old days. But little else was the same — the textbook-carrying, school uniform-wearing models of my days were gone, replaced by fashion magazine-toting, stylishly dressed models. A team of makeup artists and hairdressers were onsite, whereas we often had to go to a designated salon for hair and makeup during our time. These, plus other observations, brought to mind how the backstage scene and fashion in general have changed since I gave up modeling.

Mind and body workout vs. Pure physical activity

The first thing I noticed was there were no codigos taped on the back wall of the stage. You see, codigos or fashion sequences were a big part of our work as models; we were given number formulas broken down into beats of eight and its multiples (see how we had to be math wizards as well!), which told us where to be on stage at a particular part of the music. The codigos allowed many models to be onstage at a time without smashing into each other or accidentally bumping someone off the stage. If a model had eight outfits to wear, that meant eight different formulas to memorize. Lose your codigo and you were in deep trouble; forget your formula and you were an accident waiting to happen onstage. Today, models don’t have to contend with formulas; memorization is no longer required. Models walk single-file, forward and back, punctuated with a few seconds of posing. At Rhett Eala — like most fashion shows these days — the show was fast-paced, models came

Designer at work: Rhett makes adjustments to Hideo Muraoka’s top before the show while Jackie Aquino, one of the show’s directors, looks on.

out one by one in quick succession and were offstage within a minute or two.

Multi-talents vs. Singular talent

Before it was not enough to know how to walk and wear the clothes well; we had to be able to dance and emote like actresses, too. Certain productions required us to role-play, sometimes act like a forlorn, jilted lover or a seductress making eye contact with the audience. Believe it or not, I even had to learn to dance the singkil in my gold high heels with matching oversized fans, headdress, Muslim-inspired gown and real clacking-to-the beat bamboos, all without looking down for a Pitoy Moreno show in London!

Today, the norm is for models to simply be beautiful “human hangers” with a “let’s get this show on the road” attitude; they walk with nary a smile or expression on their faces, never looking directly at the audience. At Rhett Eala’s show, it was refreshing to see Venus Raj engage the audience with her expressive eyes and winning smile.

Marathon vs. Sprint

In the ’80s — well into the early ’90s — fashion shows lasted for at least an hour and each model wore a minimum of eight outfits. If you were the designer’s favorite, you could wear as many as 13 outfits, including the finale. We burned so many calories walking the runway, running across backstage and rushing to change into our next outfit that we could afford to eat gambas and salpicao with rice at midnight in Café Adriatico-Malate without gaining a pound!

Today, shows don’t last more than 45 minutes and the models never wear more than four outfits. They don’t have to worry about quick changes and they certainly don’t have dinner at midnight at Café Adriatico-Malate. At Rhett Eala’s show and others I’ve watched, most of the models wore two outfits, some just one.

Two things I noticed though: most shows still start late and the models are as thin as ever, maybe even thinner these days.

‘Manangs’ vs. Stylists

Apart from the designer himself, we only had manangs to help us change from one outfit to another. If we were lucky, we had one assigned to each of us, but in most cases three models shared one manang. We didn’t have printed guides either to see which accessory or shoes went with what outfit, we had to remember by ourselves.

Today, backstage is a walk in the park; each model is provided with a printout of her photo, the accessories and shoes she will wear in sequence. Accessories are placed inside plastic bags (unless they are real gems like Jewelmer) on the hanger with the dress so no mistakes are made and time wasted. Sometimes there are stylists to assist the designer do a final look-over before a model goes onstage. At

Beauty tools: Makeup is an essential part of any fashion show.

Rhett Eala’s show, not only were there manangs, his good friend and über-fashion stylist Liz Uy helped coordinate the outfits for the Collezione C2 portion, while Jewelmer representatives were on hand to personally put the pearls on the models before going onstage and removing them after they went offstage.

Entertainment vs. Fashion-industry value

Back in the day, people paid to watch fashion shows and expected to be entertained. It wasn’t unusual to have famous singers open the show before the actual fully choreographed fashion segment began. Venues were big, sit-down dinners and shows started no earlier than 9 p.m.

Today, unless a fashion show is for charity, they are by invitation. More importantly, they are truly about the clothes. Productions are straightforward, venues often smaller and if food is served, it’s at cocktails before the show. Events are usually done by 9 p.m.

Rhett Eala’s show was intimate, there were no more than a few hundred select, invited guests and it started at 7:30; my daughter and I were home by 8:45 p.m. I must say, fashion has moved away from the days of extravagant galas and luncheon shows to become a serious, professionalized industry.

Up close and personal with Rhett

I don’t know Rhett very well but what I know about him, I like. He is witty, has an infectious laugh and is purposeful, with laser-like focus.  He hit a rough patch several years ago (who hasn’t?) but that’s in the past and immaterial. What matters is that he is back on top of his game today and his creative juices are flowing with endless fashion possibilities. I mean, anyone who can make the map of the Philippines fashionable and a wardrobe staple is undoubtedly a design genius.

Needless to say, the clothes from the Collezione C2 portion of his show were dynamic and hip, full of metro vibe. His red carpet-worthy formal collection was ultra-feminine and stunning, just like the Jewelmer South Sea pearls used to accessorize his evening dresses and gowns. The body-hugging, long black finale number with the Philippine map in Swarovski crystals worn by Venus Raj was simply dramatic and jaw-dropping. All in all, it was a collection deserving of a celebration.

I coaxed Rhett into a short, “get to know you better” Q&A and here’s what he shared:

PHILIPPINE STAR: Why did you want to celebrate your 20 years in the fashion industry?

RHETT EALA:  I thought it was quite an achievement to still be working after 20 years but this will be the only time I will celebrate an anniversary. There will be no 25th or 30th celebration, this is it!

Did someone prod you to celebrate your 20th year in fashion?

No, I came up with the idea myself.

How long did it take you to design and create this collection?

A long time — over eight months. I started working on the collection in February and finished literally just the night before the show.

How many clothes did you make for the show?

For the Collezione C2 portion, I designed 29 pieces of menswear and 12 ladies’ outfits. For the formal collection, I created 25 pieces.

Which do you enjoy designing more, men’s or women’s clothes?

It’s funny, I enjoy designing both but there were times when I had to tell myself today I have to concentrate on the ladies, tomorrow the men’s clothes. I had to switch gears quite often, it was like being on creative overdrive.

Would you consider setting up another Wink type of store with a casual, ready-to-wear line?

Why not? I think I will be taking Collezione C2 in that direction soon.

Boys in waiting: Killing time backstage in their Collezione C2 outfits are models Mark Whittington, Daniel Marsh, Richard Turner and Charlie Sutcliffe.

What kind of clothes won’t you ever design?

Infant clothes. I’d love to learn but I guess I’d have to experience taking care of a baby first!

Which colors are your favorites and which do you find the most challenging to work with? In what fabric?

I love all colors. I don’t find any one of them a challenge to work with. Black and white are my favorites because they are like blank canvases for me. As for fabric, I love working with silk chiffon and silk organza.

Which time of the day are you most creative?

No particular time.

If there was one international female personality you would like to dress, who would it be and why?

Carla Bruni, the wife of French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Why? Because she makes conservative dressing look so sexy.

Aside from fashion, what else are you passionate about?

The arts and my family, especially my nephews, whom I adore.

Which fashion capital do you find the most stylish?

Paris, hands down.

If you were not living in Manila, where would you like to live and why?

Hong Kong because I grew up there.

What professional plans do you have for the next three years?

I will be concentrating on making Collezione C2 into a powerhouse brand.

Which personality trait are you most proud of and the least proud of?

Proud of, my patience! Least proud of, my quick temper!

What is the one thing that people don’t know about you that you would like to share?

That I am a morning person and that I am in bed by 9:30 in the evening.

What is your current state of mind?

I’m in a good place, with both my feet on the ground.

And that, Rhett, is where you deserve to be.