Pitoy Moreno is timeless 

This year marks Jose “Pitoy” Moreno’s 100th birthday. Known as the “Fashion Czar of Asia” during my modeling days, he was fittingly remembered with an exhibition of his fashion works aptly titled “Timeless: J. Moreno,” at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila in BGC.

The event was attended by many of his multi-generational clients and a few of the brides he dressed through the decades, including Gemma Cruz Araneta, Maricris Floirendo Brias, Crispy Santamaria Laurel and Hetty Que.

Self-made Pitoy started his fashion career by designing costumes for the world-renowned Bayanihan Dancers, ultimately being sought after by top society families and movie stars, as well as European royalty.

At the well-attended opening, former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, a family friend and loyal patron, recounted her family’s long relationship to Pitoy with her mother being a client from the 1950s, long before their Malacañang years and the presidency of her father, Diosdado Macapagal.  

“The M museum is delighted to continue this exciting thrust of art and design in fashion with ‘Timeless J. Moreno’ here at our new location at Bonifacio Global City (BGC), in partnership with the Jusi and Piña Foundation. It is most timely and significant that we are all brought together to honor and celebrate one of the country’s iconic fashion designers of his time," said Tina Colayco, president of the Metropolitan Museum of Manila.

***

For fashion and cultural buffs, this exhibit is worth seeing. The exhibit runs until June 29.