RISING FASHION STARS

VENUS

WEARS

ADOR

Miss Philippines / Miss Universe
2010 4th Runner-up Venus Raj
Wardrobe by Feliciano Ador
Art Direction by Rain Ramas
Produced by Mita Quiogue
Photography by JunJun Donesa

Art Director Rain Ramas: "This Feliciano Ador outfit features the indigenous handiwork of the T'boli tribe of South Cotabato. Venus is wearing a strapped t'nalak corset matched with stylized gladiator high-heeled shoes (also crafted with t'nalak cloth), tempered down with a plain black satin skirt. The outfit is accented with a signature tribal fringed bead belt with dangling brass bells, also a staple produce of the T'bolis." T'nalak is a traditional cloth found in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, which is made by the T'boli people in and around Lake Sebu in South Cotabato. This traditional cloth is hand-woven from abaca fibers, which traditionally come in three main colors: red, black, and the original brownish color of the abaca leaves.

Rain Ramas: "Here Venus layers over her earlier ensemble with Feliciano Ador's simple black tailored coat trimmed with a cross-stitch pattern of red and white along the collar to the lapels and around the shoulders, which is a stylish motif in Blaan garment traditions." The Blaan people, neighbors of the T'bolis, are among several indigenous peoples of the southern part of Mindanao in the Philippines.

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Venus Wears Ador

A Glimpse of the Model,
the Clothes, and the Designer

F
eliciano Ador, or Jun to family and friends — could be J'Ador in the world fashion scene one day, who knows? — has the penchant for finding beauty in everything, and creating equally beautiful things to match.

It's not that the statuesque 2010 Miss Philippines™ winner and Miss Universe™ runner-up Venus Raj needs help in that department, but donning Ador's Filipino neo-ethnic fashion creations elevates her unique elegance and feminine strength a notch higher, just as she elevates the apparel and accessories (part and parcel of Ador's Arise Mindanao collection) to the next stage — a perfect match made in fashion heaven. This end-of-summer photo shoot in Manhattan in New York City showcases both model and clothes in their natural best — elegance in simplicity, beauty in tradition, and strength in subtle confidence.

"This... collection... signifies a woman who always believes in herself, is determined to achieve her dreams in life...
"This neo-ethnic collection, which features the t'nalak, inaul, and other indigenous materials and styles, signifies a woman who always believes in herself, is determined to achieve her dreams in life, and can show to the world that she is versatile," says Ador, whose ethnic roots trace to the Mandaya tribe, another indigenous minority in this part of the Philippines.

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