Who’s Pitoy Moreno — and how he made ladies feel ‘bongga’

2 months ago 14

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There’s a catchy Pinoy ‘70s hit that vibed with the fun disco era.

The Hotdog’s “Bongga Ka ’Day” — translated to “You’re Fabulous, Girl” but doesn’t quite capture the cheekiness of it — harps on the decade’s playful times and fashion:

Lahat ay nagulat nang buksan ang pinto
Sayaw ng mga tao’y biglang nahinto
Buhok mo’y Budji, talampaka’y Gucci
Suot mo’y gawa ni Pitoy, ‘di nanggaling kay Eloy

(When the door opened, everyone was surprised. The people dancing suddenly stopped. Your hair is by Budji, your feet are in Gucci. You’re wearing Pitoy, it didn’t come from Eloy.)

So who’s Pitoy and Eloy? And what’s Budji?

It’s one of those questions that Pitoy’s family, friends, and loyal patrons actually dread.

The late Jose “Pitoy” Moreno was a celebrated Filipino fashion designer, the go-to of high society and top personalities — from fashion and entertainment to business and politics — in the 1960s and the next three decades.

“I think most people now just know him from the song ‘Bongga Ka, Day,’ but during his time in the 1960s to 1980s, he was really the most prominent couturier, and a big fashion presence and fashion icon — not just a designer, but he was present in the society, in the Manila, Philippine society,” said art historian Dr. Florina Capistrano-Baker.

And Eloy? It’s a used clothing shop back in the day, now commonly known as ukay-ukay. Budji, meanwhile, refers to Budjiwara, a popular ‘70s beauty salon for Manila’s elite.

It sounded like fun times, indeed.

For the Moreno family, though, it might just also be a good time to celebrate Pitoy’s brilliance, as 2025 marks the centenary of his birth.

“It was envisioned by his family, the Moreno side of the family, who approached me and asked if there was any way we could mark the 100th anniversary of his birth…because they were concerned that the younger generation no longer remembers Pitoy Moreno,” said Capistrano-Baker.

The idea of an exhibition, as well as a book, soon came to life.

“I suggested perhaps the most logical would be an exhibition because he has several dresses that are still existing in his studio,” said Capistrano-Baker, referring to Pitoy’s famous Malvar atelier in Malate, Manila.

The exhibit “Timeless J. Moreno” features Pitoy’s classic designs, showcasing his fondness for Filipino dresses and textiles — from his many reinterpretation of the traditional Maria Clara, terno gowns, and Muslim formals to his preference for the delicate jusi and piña.

It will run until June 29, 2025 at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila (The M Museum) in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), Taguig.

Helming the project with Capistrano-Baker are Ditas Samson, co-curator, and Clarissa Esguerra, technical and curatorial consultant.

Pitoy was born on February 25, 1925 in Tondo, Manila. His father Jose was a marine engineer who got “lost at sea near Hong Kong before World War II,” according to Samson.

His mother Felicidad, a businesswoman, knew how to sew, and soon, a young Pitoy learned how to make a terno.

In 1951, Pitoy graduated with a double degree — Fine Arts and Social Work — from the University of the Philippines in Diliman.

According to Samson, among his instructors were National Artists Fernando Amorsolo and Guillermo Tolentino.

“Exposure to old master paintings may have inspired him to create traditional Philippine attire like the Maria Clara and terno,” she said.

By 1954, Pitoy set up his own shop along Taft Avenue in Manila and started creating costumes for the Bayanihan Dance Company.

As he started working with clients for wedding gowns and formal dresses, Pitoy started gaining international acclaim in the 1960s when Bayanihan performed on US television on the Ed Sullivan Show.

Since then, as Samson noted from her research, international publications labeled him as the “Fashion Czar of Asia” (Le Figaro, a French newspaper), “Asia’s high priest of fashion” (Asia Magazine), and “the greatest Filipino couturier” (Honolulu Star Bulletin).

In 1961, Pitoy designed the inauguration gown of First Lady Eva Macapagal, then the following year, Hollywood actress Rita Moreno wore a Pitoy gown when she won the Oscars for Best Supporting Actress.

His star-studded clientele kept growing as he designed for Gemma Cruz for the Miss International beauty pageant, for Susan Roces when she married Fernando Poe Jr., and virtually the rest of the Philippine elite.

Pitoy also cut across the political spectrum, designing for Imelda Marcos and almost all Philippine First Ladies, as well as the two female Presidents — Cory Aquino and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

He was the “First Family’s favorite,” noted Capistrano-Baker.

Samson said Pitoy also dressed many prominent foreign personalities like Queen Margarita of Bulgaria, Queen Sirikit of Thailand, Princess Margaret of Great Britain, Princess Sofia of Greece, and Princess Suga of Japan.

“A lot of people tend to dismiss fashion as, you know, superficial. That it’s only for high society, and that it doesn’t have anything to do with us (common people), and you know, pa bonga-bonga (all flamboyant),” said Capistrano-Baker.

“But it’s actually a very serious area of study because your dress touches your skin. Anything you put on your body is a very personal expression of your identity, of your psyche,” she added.

“All the designers, when you look at all the designs, they all have their special ways of expressing their philosophy. The clients have their own ways of addressing the psychology of what they’re wearing, because it’s a collaboration. It’s not just a designer imposing this on the wearer.”

In 2009, Macapagal-Arroyo proclaimed Pitoy as National Artist for Fashion Design. That honor, however, was revoked in 2013 by the Supreme Court, with Samson explaining that it’s due to the government’s “alleged failure to follow correct protocol in bestowing the honor.”

Pitoy died at 92 years old on January 15, 2018, reportedly due to a heart attack, at the Manila Doctors Hospital in Ermita.

Along with his fashion legacy, it’s Pitoy’s pride for the country and culture that always comes through.

“I want my design to be very Filipino… And I want to be known as a Filipino couturier. That is very important to me,” Pitoy was quoted saying in 1980, the curators said.

Pitoy, of course, doesn’t need any official conferment to be called a fashion genius. HIs body of work already speaks volumes.

“Every dress really has its own story… there’s so many stories that you can pick from the individual dresses,” noted Capistrano-Baker.

“Each story, each dress is a part of history that has its own biography — from creation to the use of the person, and its afterlife.”

Jose “Pitoy” Moreno’s art and fashion did live on, immortalizing the legendary designer beyond a song. – Rappler.com