IMAGINING/IMAGING showcases a collection of newly restored filipiniana dresses created between the late 1940s and the early 1980s by National Artist Salvacion Lim Higgins. There are also reproductions of two portraits by National Artist Fernando Amorsolo with the women dressed in Slim’s, accompanied by the actual garments on display.
A modernist in her way of thinking, Slim would not only reimagine ternos, kimonas and trajes de mestiza, but also created Muslim and tribal-inspired dresses, even designing ensembles inspired by the barong. She would substitute indigenous embellishments with beads and sequins, apply cutwork embroidery on traditional jusi adorning modern silhouettes, or employ fabrics with prints that echoed ethnic weaves and motifs, elevating these ideas into sophisticated and wearable fashions.
