‘WHAT makes Ben Farrales great?” I asked fashion designers of all ages in 2002 as the “Dean of Filipino Designers” was celebrating his 50th year in the business. The consensus among his confreres was summed up by his BFF Nolie Hans’ assessment: “His greatest contribution is his dedication to the industry. He aims to professionalize every designer in the making. As a friend, he is straightforward. He challenges you to aspire and become a Ben Farrales later on.”
The beloved Mang Ben, both feared and revered, passed on March 6 after defiantly battling a long illness. He was 88.
“Haute couture is a feel for and confidence in your craft. You have to be sure of what you’re doing to gain the full trust of your clients,” who are usually high-society women “who exude a good sense of fashion, who have good taste, and who understand their lifestyle,” Mang Ben said in his self-published 2002 book, Ben Farrales: Fifty Years In My Fashion, by Abe Florendo.
Mang Ben started as an apprentice in 1952 at the dress shop called Aurelia’s, where he was assigned to buy zippers and buttons among other tasks—menial ones but which proved meaningful when he struck out on his own in 1954.
It was also in 1954 when the society powerhouse, Conching Sunico, noticed his burgeoning potential and invited him and another upstart, Jose “Pitoy” Moreno, to participate in her fund-raising gala, “Romance,” at The Manila Hotel.
Mang Ben joked that “Romance” was his and Pitoy’s “coming-out party,” holding their own against established names Ramon Valera and Salvacion Lim. Together with another newbie, Aureo Alonzo, the legendary triumvirate eventually became the pillars of Philippine fashion. And with other design wunderkinds, they formed the Philippine Couture Association in 1958, with Mang Ben as its first president.
A devotee of the Infant Jesus, he was the founding chairman of the Congregacion del Santisimo Nombre del Niño Jesus in 1978. This was also the time when three boys—brothers Cesar and Feliciano, and Salvador came under his name and guardianship. Never with parental instincts, they called him Ninong. “I was transformed profoundly, especially in my ways with children, and my devotion to the Child Jesus could not but grow with time,” he wrote in 2001 in his other book, also by Florendo: Santo Niño: The Holy Child Devotion in the Philippines.
In 1979, Mang Ben and the Congregacion started the Flores de Mayo spectacle. The annual parade is a rite of passage for designers, with awards and distinctions at stake.
“I first joined the Flores de Mayo in 1992, under the wing of my then-mentor and boss Leonard Co. When l came into my own, I was invited again in 2000. I was more excited then because l was an independent, and to be among seasoned designers was such an honor,” says Jontie Martinez, who has won multiple times from his participation. “Mang Ben was always a strong presence, silent but all-seeing, but we could all sense his warmth and genuine happiness. He is a great loss to the fashion industry, but of course a welcome addition to the Great Atelier in the Sky.”
As the youngest of 10 children (thus, Benjamin), he was doted on especially by his elder Aida, who married the Muslim politician Salipada Pendatun. They sent for the young Ben to live with them in Cotabato. In two years, he was exposed to the exuberance of Muslim culture and clothing. This experience found expression in 1984, when Mang Ben unveiled a “career-defining solo collection” called “Maranaw.”
It was also shown at the Kennedy Center in New York, the first and only time a Filipino designer was showcased there. In his fashion tome, Mang Ben pondered on the Muslim look: “It’s incredibly elegant. And it’s very appropriate for us—not a very pretentious way of dressing up. But in whatever ways I adapt it, update it, modernize it, I always see to it that the Muslim look and feel is intact. I do not want to tamper with that.”
An unforgettable fashion moment was Mang Ben’s 50th anniversary gala in 2002. A multi-generation of supermodels sashayed down the runway in Mang Ben’s vintage marvels and recreated designs.
His frequent collaborator was the gregarious jewelry designer Gerry Sunga. “It was several months of brainstorming at his atelier. My design discipline is, I have to see and feel his collections. And he lovingly considered my suggestions. He wanted his jewelries to be massive, decadent, diverse and opulent,” Sunga recounts. “He was so thrilled after the show. When he was giving me a check, I said, ‘No, it’s my gift to you.’ He was so rattled that he gave all his bouquets to me! Para akong nanalo sa beauty contest!”
Joey Espino Jr. was codirector of the gala with Ogee Atos: “Mang Ben explained to me that he really wanted a solid, memorable and meaningful show for his 50th anniversary. A show that gave people a clear view of what and who he was as a Filipino fashion designer. One who was pioneering in inspiring Filipinos to wear clothes that will reflect our culture and identity with elegance and panache. He considered his clothes good for the modern woman of his generation, carrying his signature of understated elegance and sexiness but classic and timeless in approach.”
With his brother, the producer/director Audie, Joey is very grateful for Mang Ben’s unfailing encouragement and guidance. “Mang Ben was one of the major reasons why Philippine Fashion Week lasted 25 years. He told me to be patient and to look beyond. I poured my heart to him, and he always made me look for the sun behind the clouds. He asked me to never give up! And I carry his valuable traits not only in my career but more so in my life. He is a true mentor and a true best friend!”
Mang Ben’s tremendous impact also extends to his muses. Aurora Pijuan was an early muse before she became Miss International in 1970. Tina Maristela is the Galatea to his Pygmalion. A longtime favorite is Cheng Bernardez Lucas.
“Mang Ben was like a father to me and my sister Nitz whom he discovered, so he was responsible for us becoming models. He personally talked to our dad to allow Nitz to model as she had just graduated from high school at the time. So he would always get us for pictorials, shows and trips, and we couldn’t say no,” Cheng shared. “Mang Ben was a big force in my life and whenever other designers asked me to model for them and I refused, they’d ask why I do it for Mang Ben. I would tell them I only strut the runway at this age for my dear Mang Ben.”
The last time the general public saw a Farrales collection was at the Philippine Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2014 presentations, in a show that brought everyone to tears. It was directed by Ogee Atos, who endearingly calls Mang Ben his “Black Mother.”
“Mang Ben taught me a lot of things in fashion production, and he shared many travel memories with me. Our mutual respect for each other is what I cherish most. Doing his shows resulted in other clients following suit,” Atos said at the time. Still grieving, Mader Ogee posted recently: “Journey on. I know the angels are waiting for you to make heaven a beautiful happy place. I love you and thank you for the so many blessings and lessons in life!”
What gave Mang Ben greater purpose was in giving back. In 2009, the venerable desiogner gathered about 200 designers, hair and makeup artists, directors and models for an edition of Fashion for a Cause, a Red Cross fundraiser for Supertyphoon Ondoy survivors. It was just one of many civic duties that only he had the will and wherewithal to organize.
“To be asked to join Fashion for a Cause is a gauge of one’s acceptance by one’s peers. It was a major gathering of fashion’s leading luminaries helping victims stricken by calamities,” said director Raymond Villanueva. Fellow director Jackie Aquino, stating a general sentiment, added: “Mang Ben deserves to be given an industry or national award. He had the biggest heart.”
In 2015, Mang Ben was awarded the Gawad CCP Para sa Sining Disenyong Pangmoda. His San Beda alma mater gave him an outstanding alumni award in 1998 and during the school’s centenary in 2001, he was deemed one of the 100 Best Bedans.
Fellow Bedan, fashion director Cata Figueroa Jr. has nominated Mang Ben for National Artist for Fashion. The submission reads in part: “[Farrales] can be considered a national treasure. He revolutionized the world of fashion with his uniquely beautiful and classy creations, contributing much in the recognition of Filipino ingenuity here and abroad. Ben Farrales is not only a Bedan gem. He is a Filipino pride.”