Dexter Alazas: Designing, rebuilding Cebu’s fashion culture

CEBU, Philippines — Dexter Alazas arrived and made his name in Cebu’s fashion scene by riding on his “trial and error” journey, embracing mistakes as his motivation to pursue the craft he loves to do.

Dexter is one of the few fashion designer activists in Cebu, whose hands do not only create beautiful designs for the affluent segment, but also provides a way for the deprived women to make a living by providing them an opportunity to earn extra income.

The owner of Alazas Atelier, Dexter led the revival of Hablon, a centuries’ old handloom weaving industry that originated and thrived in Argao, Cebu.

He purposely created a retail arm, the Amano Craft Creations, to make Hablon accessible to both local and foreign customers. Not only that, he is also trying to make “banig” products to re-enter in the fashion scene by designing banig-based accessories in home furnishings, and fashion ensembles.

Today, Dexter champions in helping more women, mostly housewives in rural areas, find their place and recognize their value in the fashion scene not only in Cebu, but around the world.

Nurse by profession, designer in action

Persuaded by the trend of taking up nursing to easily get his way to the United States and join his family there, Dexter took up Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) after high school.

“I’m the youngest among eight siblings, and they were all (living and working) in the US, including my parents,” Dexter shared explaining that the goal of finishing a profession in nursing was only to finally work and live in the United States.

But he discovered that while nursing is a noble profession, his heart is beating somewhere else, and the act of creating anything and turn it into a beautiful piece of art, is what lift his spirit and makes him happier and excited.

While studying, Dexter often made his way to feed his longing of creating something.

Until, he got drawn to the world of fashion industry, “that I forgot finishing my nursing review.”

Ever since, Dexter said there is something about the fashion industry that thrilled him. “There’s so much fun and creativity here. I feel alive and somehow feels at home whenever do I am doing anything in regards to fashion designing.”

Pursuing his heart, Dexter decided to leave the goal to settle in America behind, and chose to do the thing he is made to do—fashion designing.

“Life has its way of leading you to other paths,” he followed the beat of his heart and paid attention to hunches.

“And the rest is history,” he quipped.

Dressing up personalities

His “trial and error” journey continued and never left him even after he was able to dress the rich and famous personalities, politicians in Cebu, Manila and other parts of the country.

Dexter Alazas, a brand himself considers mistakes as his mentor, a great teacher. After all, what he had when he started was only a passion, not even a formal training in fashion designing.

After working with different veterans and established names in the fashion industry in Cebu, the likes of Furne One (now a famous fashion designer in Dubai), Cary Santiago, among others, Dexter was more empowered to do something on his own—one-piece-of-creation-at-a-time bearing his name on it.

True enough, Dexter slowly made his way up. His first breakthrough was during the Joie de Vivre (Joy of Living) fashion show that proudly included his collection, together with already popular designers in Cebu.

From that show, Dexter caught the discerning eyes of some showbiz personalities. One day he found himself dressing up famous personalities like Claudine Barreto, among others.

One of his pieces landed in the front cover of the Preview magazine that was worn by Barretto. He acknowledged his entry to the discriminating fashion taste of showbiz and national sphere as a blessing that inspired him to pursue his craft some more—perhaps something meaningful and of value.

Reaching the ground

In 2014, Dexter formalized his plan to reach out to the people who he saw a potential to be part of the ever growing, and constantly evolving fashion industry—the women in rural communities.

Through his act of kindness and bravery to rescue the dying industry in Argao the “hablon” weaving, Dexter gave a ray of hope among women weavers. Today, the industry is able to regain its momentum following the different support afforded by the government.

Hablon is derived from the Hiligaynon word "habol", which means to weave and, therefore, refers both to the process and the finished products.

Alazas gained the support from the DTI to showcase the fabric to the market during the Apec Exhibit which eventually led to the installation of the hablon facility worth P825,000 that consists of 29 handloom weaving machines at the Cebu Technological University (CTU) Argao campus, through DTI's Shared Service Facility Program.

The Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) also offered its support to the Hablon weavers by linking them to the market.

Dexter’s fascination with hablon started in 2007 when he was searching for fabrics for a fashion show. Since then, he has never stopped looking for fabrics that he would eventually call Cebu’s own.

A series of favors followed after Dexter’s decision to revive the hablon industry. A growing number of women weavers are now earning extra income because of growing orders from customers here and abroad.

And he is not finished yet, this fashion designer, entrepreneur and a “stylographer” is starting to put the “banig” weave to the fashion scene.

He is slowly reaching out the banig weavers in Badian town, as well as other parts of the province.

Glocal trend

Fashion products made out of “hablon” are now gaining attention from the world market, especially to those consumers who understood the essence of social entrepreneurship.

Branded under his retail arm, Amano Craft Creations, Dexter believes that export market offers good opportunity for Hablon and the local weavers to improve their income level. At the same time, bannering the local Cebu product to the world market.

At present, fashion and lifestyle products made of Hablon are displayed in Parklane Hotel, and at Alazas Shop.

Gowns, formal dresses, caftan , shoes and clutch bags,, scarf, and other resort ensembles made of Hablon and a bit of banig materials are also being constantly showcased in different fashions shows here and other parts of the country.

Since he re-introduced Hablon to be of his design creations about three years ago, he noted that these kind of intricate, handcrafted creations appeal mostly to foreign customers—either for fashion collection, or as souvenir from Cebu.

Already, Dexter has been serving clients who buy products made of hablon and banig to different countries, through Filipinos residing abroad.

He is confident that export move will make hablon an international hit. Making it a “Glocal” fashion sensation especially that the trend now is going towards nature-based materials.

The increasing number of responsible consumers, whose preference are to buy sustainable products, is seen to benefit the old-age industries such as hablon weaving, as Dexter believes that consumers whose passion is to support sustainable fashion and believe in local product are surprisingly increasing.

Part of social entrepreneurship advocacy as a designer and creative industry player in Cebu is also to promote "barong bisaya."

Bigger dream

Aside from making the hablon and banig weavers a legitimate part of the export business as soon as the export of hablon-made lifestyle products will take off, Alazas is moving towards convincing the government to and society for hablon to be declared as official cebu fabric.

If this will be officially declared as Cebu Fabric, a lot of women weavers will be benefitted and will also push Cebu’s authority in fashion and supporting local craftsmanship.

It is his dream for Cebu to eventually introduce a fabric that is uniquely Cebuano made to local and international fashion events not only to preserve the old-age weaving industry but also to help uplift the lives of the weavers in Argao.

“You see, other provinces have their own identities, like piña in Iloilo and tinalac in Davao. Cebu, with its rich creativity, still has to make its own identity in this area,” he is more proactive in putting Cebu’s fashion design and creativity reputation to higher level.

From following the rugged edges of his “trial and error” journey to fashion design, Dexter has gone a long way when he started his own shop in 1994.

Truly, success is never a straight line. Like Dexter, he had to start with bare hands, zero technical know-how while dropping off his “American Dream.”

After building his name in the fashion industry, he is heading towards re-building the pride of old-age Cebuano culture in fashion—promoting local, sustainable lifestyle designer products made out of what is abundant in Cebu. (FREEMAN)