Profile: Michael Joseph Bawar – Real Leather Design Competitions

Michael Joseph Bawar

Philippine Women's University-Manila

Master of Fine Arts and Design

Apparel, Accessories, Design

Growing up in a household where the sight of a sewing machine and retasos (fabric scraps) are not foreign, the idea of creating and using these materials has always interested him. This, as well as spending hours doing illustrations in his pile of notebooks, propelled his decision to pursue a career in arts and design. As part of his design process, he incorporates a variety of themes or explores images or icons. Also central to his work is the incorporation of hand-made techniques, mostly on fabric. The end goal is to present Philippine clothing in a contemporary manner without losing its essence, while at the same time, instilling pride among those who wear a piece of Philippine culture which can be seen in the pieces on display.

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Banyuhay (Metamorphosis)

Category: Footwear

Competitions: Philippines

Banyuhay (Metamorphosis) As a designer who continuously experiments with materials and techniques, and channeling the competition brief of rethinking and coming up with ways of minimizing waste in the fashion industry, my designs were based on the concept of transformation or metamorphosis. To illustrate my idea of metamorphosis, I came up with three shoe designs with designs that mimics the patterns on a monarch butterfly’s wings. The patterns will be rendered using strips of leather which will be sewn on mesh surface with an assortment of beads attached to it. Just like a butterfly, I would like to show through my work, that a material should not limit ones ability to transform it into something wearable and functional.