San Paredes' Fashions in the Raw
Some designers use couture touches to add refinement to their collections. Paul Magalad uses couture style to complete the raw, unvarnished look of his San Paredes collection.
Magalad put San Paredes’ rough edges on display Feb. 17 at the Soho Art Gallery in Studio City, Calif. The pieces were part of his Spring 2005 offerings, yet they shared strong themes with his designs of the past five years.
Magalad and his associate, Joyce Tsang, drape organic fabrics and secondhand materials such as quilts over women. Magalad then adds couture flourishes such as ruffles, embroidery and pin tucks to give his dresses fashionable definition.
Southern California will see more of San Paredes’ elegant roughness; Magalad quit his waiter job in early February and is devoting himself fulltime to the collection. His declaration of independence is a new twist on a classic immigrant’s story.
Born in the Philippines and raised in Australia, Magalad said he first sewed clothes for his mother and thought his best opportunities were rooted in America.
“You have to be from somewhere else to make it,” Magalad said. “If I was just another Asian- American designer, people wouldn’t notice. But [because of] the fact that I’m Australian, people say, ’Let’s find out what this Australian can do.’”
Magalad gained notice in his new home by showing his clothes at offbeat venues such as the Echo nightclub in Los Angeles’ Echo Park district, while he supplemented his income by working at a Chinese restaurant. He said his increasing business with private clients gave him the means to quit his job.
Magalad said his next step will be designing more one-of-a-kind creations. —Andrew Asch
