A piece from the Auggie Cordero collection donated to the Benilde Fashion Museum is on view at the BFM Corner at the College of Saint Benilde Design + Arts campus on P. Ocampo St., Manila. It is open to the public.
The collections of Auggie Cordero have been donated to the Benilde Fashion Museum (BFM) by the family of the late fashion designer who helped set the agenda of Philippine fashion design from the late ‘70s to mid-2000. Cordero passed away in 2022 at 78 of acute respiratory failure.
Architect Gerry Torres with Neng Cordero at the door of the famous Auggie Cordero atelier in Malate (Photo courtesy of BFM)
The donation of the 145-piece collection was done by Auggie’s sister, Sonia “Neng” Cordero, who, for decades, also served as Cordero’s manager in his famous atelier in Malate. It was received by BFM head, architect Gerry Torres who started the establishment of the Museum and has been building up its collections from donations by heirs of foremost Filipino designers and their clientele.
The 1938 heritage building in Leon Guinto St. (what was once Instituto Cervantes) is being repurposed by architect Gerry Lico, with Torres, into the country’s first fashion museum that is set to open in 2027.
In an early interview with TheDiarist.ph, Torres, explaining the role of a fashion museum, stressed the need to conserve the past to be able to construct the future. He elaborated that the BFM is devoted to conservation, collection, exhibition and education on Philippine fashion design.
In the meantime, a few pieces from the Cordero collection are mounted at BFM for the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde fashion students to discover and study.
Architect Gerry Torres and Neng Cordero at the turnover of Auggie Cordero collection held at Cordero atelier (Photo courtesy of BFM)
In its 2022 obituary for Cordero, TheDiarist.ph wrote: “The country knew Auggie Cordero as the designer who designed the wardrobe of then President Cory Aquino. This was, however, barely skimming the surface of his solid achievements. Auggie had a knack for starting trends. Almost single-handedly, he put the style legend, actress Audrey Hepburn, in the consciousness of many a Filipina in the ‘80s as, collection after collection, one fashion shoot after another, he popularized the Audrey Hepburn gamine look of sabrina neckline, cropped pants, tailored yet very feminine silhouettes. Before that he became known for his Annie Hall and Katharine Hepburn collections of soft tailored coordinates and smart layering. Auggie also popularized the shirtdress which appealed to the growingly empowered Filipino women, the use of accents such as bow and camellia to soften tailored tops inspired by Chanel, the tuxedo dressing inspired by his fashion god Yves Saint Laurent, the barong tunic for women, the use of color in bridal ensembles, among other trends through the decades.”
The collections donated to BFM were works of Cordero from the ‘80s to the time of his death, most of which had been presented in his gala shows. Cordero was known as an assiduous collector—of his own design collections, which were kept hanging on racks in his atelier even long after his passing, of fabrics, of books, and of movies (from betamax years to DVDs, CDs). The BFM donation consisted of formal wear, tailored separates, bridal gowns, and a few Filipiniana.
“We have yet to study all the pieces, as due to the number, we will need more time. Typically, when a garment is accepted by the museum, we document it through photos and write a condition report. This process takes some time,” Torres told TheDiarist.ph.
Asked what the Auggie Cordero collection brings to the Museum, he explained, “Because of Auggie Cordero’s stature in the fashion industry, the collection is valuable as examples of haute couture from the 1980s onwards. In particular, they will be valuable artifacts for study by our students, not just of fashion but even from other courses. We also have interns and volunteers from other schools, so Auggie’s work will be exposed beyond the confines of Benilde.”
And how have the students been reacting so far to Auggie’s works on display? “They are slowly beginning to recognize him and his genius.”
BFM has accepted the collections of Ben Farrales, Cesar Gaupo, Pitoy Moreno, Salvacion Lim-Higgins of Slim’s, Aureo Alonso, and the National Artist Ramon Valera.
In recent years, pieces from these collections have been put on display on a staggered basis at the College of Saint Benilde Design + Arts (D+A) campus on P. Ocampo St., Manila.
“Since the museum is still under construction, the glass enclosed ‘show windows,’ called the Benilde Fashion Museum Corners, act as exhibit spaces that share with the academic community key examples from the collection. As they are located in two campuses—D+A and main—the collections have been exposed to a good range of the student population, from the senior high to students of other creative fields.”
