The first season of Project Runway Philippines premiered on July 30, 2008 on cable through ETC Entertainment Central and on free TV through SBN 21. The show was hosted by model and actress Teresa Herrera, with fashion designer and faculty member of School of Fashion and the Arts Jojie Lloren serving as mentor and Marie Jamora as director. Filipino top model and lifestyle feature writer Apples Aberin-Sahdwani and fashion designer Rajo Laurel complete the judging panel.
The winner received P500,000 (roughly US$11,000) in cash, a start-up business package, an editorial spread in Mega magazine, and an opportunity to show their collection in Philippine Fashion Week. The final three designers, as revealed in the Finale episode, would get to design a clothing line to be sold exclusively in SM Makati and SM Ortigas, while the winner would display his collection in SM Makati.
The final runway show was held on October 23, 2008, at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay, with New York-based handbag and accessories designer Rafé Totengco and notable shoe designer Cesar Gaupo as guest judges. Aries Lagat of Iligan City was declared the winner, with Philipp Tampus of Lapu-Lapu City and Veejay Floresca of Makati as runners-up.
Auditions Project Runway Philippines held its auditions from January 14 through January 16, 2008 in School of Fashion and the Arts (SoFA) in Makati, Metro Manila. Casting call was also held on March 10, 2008 in Crown Regency Hotel and Towers in Cebu City for fashion designers in Visayas and Mindanao island groups. Over 200 designers auditioned during the course of the casting calls.
Contestants The 14 finalists of Project Runway Philippines, which consists of a mix of established and new designers, were introduced in a press conference held in Greenbelt 5 Gallery in Makati. Note that the ages listed are the designers' ages at the time the show was taped in early 2008.
Aries Lagat - 25 years old from Iligan City, Lanao del Norte. He won the 2006 Mega Young Designers Competition (Mega YDC), an annual competition for Filipino novice fashion designers sponsored by Mega magazine. He is also a former scholar of top designer Ben Ferrales, and teaches in Fashion Institute of the Philippines. - Winner, November 12, 2008 Philipp Tampus - 36 years old from Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu. A bridal and evening gown designer based in Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates with 14 years of experience. Competed in 1994 Mega YDC, where it was revealed in Episode 10 that he competed with Laurel. - Eliminated, November 12, 2008 Veejay Floresca - 23 years old from Makati, Metro Manila. He studied fashion design and merchandising in De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde. He competed in the International Competition of Young Fashion Designers (ICYFD) in Paris, and was described by a fashion magazine as "The Next Face of Avant Garde." - Eliminated, November 12, 2008 Mara Reyes - 21 years old from Pasig, Metro Manila. She graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts Major in Painting from the University of the Philippines Diliman, she works as a costume designer. - Eliminated, October 8, 2008 Jaz Cerezo - 25 years old from Dagupan. An Advertising graduate of Far Eastern University, she studied in Slim's Fashion and Arts School to pursue a career in fashion. She designs wedding dresses and evening gowns. - Eliminated, October 1, 2008 Eli Gonzales - 26 years old from San Pedro, Laguna. A graduate of Industrial Design, he was a fashion design professor at De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde in Manila. - Eliminated, September 24, 2008 Ava Paguyo - 27 years old from San Carlos City, Pangasinan. A textile designer who graduated with Biology and Clothing Technology majors from University of the Philippines Diliman. - Eliminated, September 17, 2008 Ivan Raborar - 23 years old from Koronadal City, South Cotabato. He is a two-time winner of the T'nalak Haute Couture Grand Prize. - Eliminated, September 17, 2008 Bo Parcon - 37 years old from Iloilo City. Dubbed as "Iloilo's Bad Boy of Fashion," he is one of the winners in a terno design competition sponsored by Metropolitan Museum. - Eliminated, September 3, 2008 Winnie Chua - 24 years old from Malate District, Manila. She is a fashion merchandiser and ready-to-wear designer. She took up Fashion Design and Merchandising at De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde. - Eliminated, August 27, 2008 Charette Regala - 36 years old from Quezon City, Metro Manila. A former clothing technology instructor at the University of the Philippines Diliman and former product manager and head of sourcing for a sporting apparel brand. - Eliminated, August 20, 2008 Lord Maturan - 24 years old from Talisay City, Cebu. Winner of 2007 Cebu Young Designers' Council. - Eliminated, August 13, 2008 Lorymer Villareal - 21 years old from Cebu City. An aeronautical student and a self-taught designer. He joined the 2005 Philippine Fashion Competition and became one of the country's representatives in ICYFD in Paris that same year. - Eliminated, August 6, 2008 Loida Hunter - 51 years old from San Pedro, Laguna. A dressmaker who specializes in corporate uniforms. - Eliminated, July 30, 2008
Episodes
"13 Legends"
Designer Fashion Legend Style Aries Roy Gonzales Redesigned barong tagalog using haute couture influences Ava Ben Farrales Mixes Muslim and Grecian influences Bo Joe Salazar Well-crafted gowns with fine and delicate embellishments Charette Inno Sotto Modern pieces with classic elegance and impeccable finish Eli Christian Espiritu Counted socialites Imelda Marcos and TingTing Cojuangco as his muses Ivan Cesar Gaupo Ready-to-wear creations with clean lines and silhouettes Jaz Patis Tesoro Modernized Filipino dresses Lord Ramon Valera Modernized terno silhouette Lorymer Ernest Santiago Adventurous designs with exaggerated shoulders and capes Mara Steve de Leon Avant-garde origami designs using local fabrics Philipp Auggie Cordero Audrey Hepburn-inspired classic and romantic pieces Veejay Pitoy Moreno High-fashion Filipiniana gowns made with local materials Winnie Josie Natori High-fashion pieces with a mixture of Filipino and Japanese influences
Guest Judge: Amina Aranaz-Alunan, handbag designer and co-founder of SoFA Winner: Philipp Tampus Eliminated: Lorymer Villareal
"Hip Hop Meets Couture"
Team leader Partner Aries Winnie Ava Philipp Charette Ivan Lord Eli Mara Jaz Veejay Bo
Guest Judges: Carla Sibal and Sarah Meier Winner: Ava Paguyo Eliminated: Lord Maturan
"Nesvita Design Challenge"
Guest Judge: Trina Abola, Nesvita group product manager, Nestlé Philippines Winner: Aries Lagat Eliminated: Charette Regala
Gonzales raised the issue of the team of Floresca and Parcon in the previous episode wherein they used a tank top (which the two considered as an accessory) to complete their outfit for that particular episode's challenge. However, the garment was neither made nor purchased. Jojie Lloren talked to both Gonzales and Floresca individually, and said that the judging panel concluded that Maturan's dress (which Gonzales collaborated on before Maturan was eliminated) would still have lost. Consequently, Lloren said that only materials that are either purchased or brought from the accessory wall are allowed to be worn on the models from hereon.
"Open Your Eyes"
Guest Judge: Jun de Leon, high fashion photographer; and Mich Dulce, celebrity fashion designer and milliner Winner: Jaz Cerezo Eliminated: Winnie Chua
"Wedding Challenge"
Guest Judge: Dennis Lustico, winner of Best in Bridal Design, Mega Fashion Awards 2007 Winner: Eli Gonzales Eliminated: Bo Parcon
Gonzales ranted about his perceived bias that the judges are grooming Aries Lagat to win the competition, especially when one of the judges (whom he did not specify) is already familiar with Lagat and Veejay Floresca prior to taping.
"Beverly Hills 6750 Design Challenge"
Guest Judge: Suzette Lopez, general manager, Beverly Hills 6750 Winner: Aries Lagat Eliminated: None
The judges decided not to eliminate Ivan Raborar nor Mara Reyes, who were the bottom two designers, because they believed Gonzales created the worst design but he had immunity from his win in the previous episode.
"Pond's Design Challenge"
Guest Judge: Mutya Laxa, marketing manager, Pond's Winner: Eli Gonzales Eliminated: Ava Paguyo and Ivan Raborar
"Cinderella Ready-To-Wear Challenge"
Eli Jaz Mara Aries Philipp Veejay
Guest Judge: Dennis Castillo, creative consultant, Cinderella Winner: Veejay Floresca Eliminated: Eli Gonzales
"Push Tradition Forward"
Guest Judge: Michael Salientes, top stylist Winner: Mara Reyes Eliminated: Jaz Cerezo
"Terno Challenge"
Guest Judge: Aimee Marcos, entrepreneur, musician, and adopted daughter of Imelda Marcos Winner: Philipp Tampus Eliminated: Mara Reyes
"Finale (part 1)"
Designer Assistant Designer Aries Mara Philipp Lord Veejay Jaz
Special episodes
Reception Television and film critic Nestor Torre of Philippine Daily Inquirer wrote that he liked the show's "stylish approximation of the original American franchise, with Teresa Herrera ranking high among (his) list of the show's plus points." However, he criticized the subjectivity of judges' verdicts, adding that "their personal preferences sometimes clouded their judgment." He also expressed his hopes that the judges and mentors of the show go soft on their "tough love" approach, stating that the designers are "young and vulnerable." Opinion columnist Rina Jimenez-David, also from Philippine Daily Inquirer, wrote that Project Runway Philippines is "many times more interesting (than the American original), with more complex intrigues, better clothes, and more outspoken judges." She described Aberin-Sahdwani and Laurel as "unblinkingly honest," adding that the female judge's "insistence on quality, workmanship and attention to detail" was admirable.
Meanwhile, Mindy Baldemor of Manila Bulletin stated that Project Runway Philippines did not suffer from poor editing and general lack of personality and attitude that plagued Philippines' Next Top Model, which was also produced by Solar Entertainment. She added that the show "captured the essence of Project Runway: panic-inducing, competitive, semi-dramatic, but overall still chic." C. Mendez Legaspi of Business Mirror agreed with Baldermor's observations. However, the fashion journalist was not favorable of "the oft-times not-so-judicious choice of guest judges, the put-on cattiness of certain contestants, and the lame attempts at colegiala accents."
At the Final Runway, Ed Biado of Manila Standard Today wrote that "Tampus proved that his penchant for romance can be translated into something more than classic drapes," making him "a very strong contender." Meanwhile, he stated that Floresca's strength lies in "his impeccable ability to modernize his inspiration and make it his own," but he was "not too sure if that 'his own' is exciting enough." Biado declared Lagat as the clear winner, with a collection that was "architectural and every sewing technique is visibly used and executed flawlessly."
Elimination charts
Designer competition
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 15 EpisodeAriesWIN INLOWWIN IN IN WIN IN HIGHHIGHLOWWINNER Finale Philipp LOWWIN HIGH LOW HIGH IN HIGH LOW LOW LOW WIN RUNNER-UP Finale Veejay HIGH HIGH IN LOW IN HIGH IN IN WIN LOW HIGH 3RD PLACE FinaleMara LOW HIGH HIGH IN IN LOW LOW IN LOWWIN OUT Terno ChallengeJaz IN HIGH HIGH HIGHWIN HIGH HIGH HIGH HIGH OUT Push Tradition ForwardEli IN LOW LOW IN LOW WIN LOWWIN OUT Cinderella Ready-To-Wear ChallengeAva IN LOW WIN IN IN LOW IN OUT Pond's Design ChallengeIvan IN IN IN HIGH LOW IN LOW OUT Pond's Design ChallengeBo IN IN IN IN LOW OUT Wedding ChallengeWinnie IN IN LOW LOW OUT Open Your EyesCharette HIGH IN IN OUT Nesvita Design ChallengeLord IN IN OUT Hip Hop Meets CoutureLorymer LOW OUT 13 LegendsLoida OUT Individuality as a Designer