Philippine Fashion Designer Josie Natori Goes Free-Spirited and Nomadic Chic

Talk about art and fashion colliding nicely on a fragrant Valentine’s Day afternoon. I’m talking about Josie Natori’s press preview where she unveiled her Fall ‘12 ready-to-wear collection inspired by Tibetan serenity and held at the Rubin Museum bathed in graceful Himalayan art. “This Philippine Fashion collection has been an evolution for us,” said Natori speaking to reporters after the show. “Natori has always been about East and West. I’m always inspired by exotic places.”

In this case, Natori took her audience on a style journey to Mongolia, a tiny frontier nation bordered by Russia and China. Twenty-five models showcased Soviet- and Asian-themed elegance via layered jackets embellished in faux fur and textures that contoured the body. Natori, whose fascination with Mongolian nomads and their unique customs, defined her ensemble such that “they’re easy pieces to mix and match.” Mongolia may be the central theme of her stunning collection, but the embroidery that embellished some of her clothes was Philippine-made.

“All the embroidery is made in the Philippines,” she said. Even the necklace with a semi-precious stone she wore to the preview and the models’ handbags are Filipino-crafted. “About 50 percent of what you saw today are made in the Philippines. I am very proud of everything about the Philippines,” she proclaimed. In November, Natori opened her first Philippine boutique through Rustan’s.

“We had a very successful lingerie and lounge-wear collection launching and they’ve been so welcoming. And with my sneak preview of this RTW, Rustan’s responded immediately. We’re now opening two more shops in March,” she revealed. Natori said her clothes are perfect for the lifestyle in the Philippines.

The models came down through a winding staircase. Not an easy job if you’re wearing tall, flimsy heels. The models would constantly look down to make sure there was a step to catch their feet. Falling down on one’s face is one thing – it’s been done before — but rolling down the stairs would be a novelty no fashion house could risk. The unflappable Natori thought an art gallery venue was “just perfect.”

“I believe nothing in life is an accident. I don’t know how it came to be, I’m just glad we did it here,” - Josie Natori

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Philippine Fashion Mogul Josie Natori Brings her Global Brand to Philippines

Philippine Fashion Mogul Josie Natori has been known in the United States as force in fashion and design since she founded The Natori Company in 1977. Now, the Manila-born fashion mogul is setting her sights on being a force globally, starting with the Philippines and neighboring Asian countries.

“We’re big in the United States now, how about being bigger in the Philippines and in Asia?” Natori said in an interview with the Asian Journal. The bold statement came a week after Natori opened their first boutiques in the Philippines at Rustan’s Makati and the Rustan’s Tower in the Shangri-la Plaza. The Natori brand is well-known for its signature “East meets West” approach to design, resulting in products that highlight “Asian aesthetics and sensibilities and the Western contemporary lifestyle,” according to Asian Journal. Her Spring/Summer 2012 collection, for instance, features many elements from the Philippines—from bags made of hand-woven abaca from Bulacan to belt buckles made out of Capiz shells.

 

Before founding the Natori Company, Josie Cruz Natori worked in wealth management firm Merrill Lynch, where she would eventually rise to become the firm’s first female Vice President in Investment Banking. After marrying Ken Natori, Josie Natori made the move from banking to entrepreneurship in 1977, after choosing from several possible business ventures. “I realized it had to be something I could relate to, something to do with the Philippines,” Natori said in a 2007 interview with the New York Sun.

 

Her fashion career began with blouses from the Philippines that were sold as nightwear in Bloomingdale’s. The rest, as they say, is history. The brand continues to expand globally, even as the US continues to feel the effects of the recession, noted Asian Journal. Recession or not, Natori said it’s all about producing things that women want. Natori’s entry to the Philippines was simply a matter of “right timing,” noting the growth in the Asian market. It may have taken 35 years for Natori to open boutiques in the Philippines, but the global fashion brand is making up for lost time. Trade and Industry Secretary Gregory Domingo invited her to be part of the Center for International Trade Exposition and Missions, a group whose mandate is to promote the Philippines in the global market.

 

“These are the things that I love doing. I’m very proud that they’re all made in the Philippines. I believe in the creativity and talent of Filipinos. I am so inspired by many amazing artists in the Philippines. I would love to be able to help in whatever way I can to get them more recognition.” - Josie Natori

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