A book wouldn’t have told Daniel-san to wax on and off. If he didn’t have Mr. Miyagi forcing him to do menial labor, he’d still be beaten up on a daily basis. It may seem hard at first, but the first step to mastery is admitting you don’t know anything and learning from someone who does. That is the true way of the grasshopper.
Seph Bagasao, Fashion Designer
Describe what you do.
My job as a fashion designer may seem like a glamorous thing, but it’s full of hard work. It’s really hard to get into the industry, but it’s also really fun. It’s art.
What do you love most about your mentor, Aries Lagat?
Aside from him being my mentor, he’s also a really good friend to us. Sir Aries pushes us to [find] our own aesthetics. He doesn’t want to have mini-Aries Lagats. He encourages us to develop our own style and to hone our craft.
He’s just there to give advice, and at the end of the day, it’s our own decisions. That’s what he encourages us to do–to make our own decisions guided by his words and his mentorship.
If you could have anyone sub for your mentor, who would it be?
I’m a bit of a dreamer, so I’d really want Karl Lagerfeld. The aesthetics of Chanel is not me, but his work ethics, his philosophies in life it’s really impacted the way I view things in this industry. Before, I watched a documentary about his life and the way he sees life, the way he sees design. It really opens your eyes in a different manner. It will prompt you to explore the things that go unseen in the industry.
Tandem pairing representing you and your mentor.
Lady Gaga and Frédéric Chopin. Because Aries is loud in a way that his personality is really a burst of color. And when he sings in school, it’s very loud, and it’s so much fun. He brings the place to life, while I’m more quiet than him. I’m more on the classical side of fashion. We’re polar ends, but in the end, we agree on the same passion. Lady Gaga and Chopin both love music. Aries and I both love fashion.
Judd Figuerres, Filmmaker
Describe what you do.
Filmmaker is such a heavy word, but filmmaking is basically storytelling. It’s just that our medium is moving images and the power of editing. Filmmaking is considered the melting pot of all the arts. It’s all about orchestrating these elements to make this final product.
How would you describe your mentor, Charles Buenconsejo?
[Charles] is really one of the few photographers in the country with a distinct style. There’s something about his photos that affect you in a very ambiguous way, and it keeps you hanging to his work.
If you could have anyone to sub for your mentor, who would it be?
Luis Buñuel. He was so ahead of his time. When I saw his film Un Chien Andalou, I realized that this was what I wanted to do. And when I wrote my thesis, I felt like I was giving homage to him.
I love surrealism, and I love how [Luis] pioneered the movement in France. I really love how he was able to combine psychology and aesthetics, how he tapped the dream. Dreams are really a common theme between Charles and I. Our work is very dreamy.
Tandem pairing representing you and your mentor:
Salvador Dali designed the Chupa Chups logo, and I feel like Charles made me in a way. When you’re mentored by someone, at the end of the day, what he brings to your consciousness matters. That’s what Charles does for me.
Ida del Mundo, Poet
Describe what you do.
Being a writer has a lot to do with creativity. What I really love about it is how you get to meet so many different people. It’s a job you can never get tired of. It’s always different. Each time I interview someone new or cover some event, it’s always exciting. It’s always creative. And as a creative writer, it’s always about creating something new.
How did you start being Marjorie Evasco’s mentee?
I was thinking about it the other night, and I realized that every time I came to a crossroad in my literary career, she had always been there. The first time I met her was in La Salle. I was in fourth year high school, and she met with me and talked to me about pursuing a literary degree in De La Salle University. The second time was when I was in first year college. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to pursue literature anymore. At first, I was really set on it, and then, after a while, I thought, “Well, maybe this isn’t want I really want to do.” And then, she helped me decide to stick with literature. And then, when I was making my thesis, she was my mentor and was really instrumental with that as well. So every decision in my literary life, she somehow figured in.
Craziest thing you’ve done while your mentor wasn’t looking?
It was when she was literally away. She asked me to sub for her class, and the lesson was on Who Among You Knows the Essence of Garlic [by Garrett Hongo]. She gave me all of these guidelines on what to teach and how to discuss it with her class, and it had me thinking about what else I could do. What I did was I brought this gigantic rope of garlic, and I told the students, “Okay, let’s figure out what the essence of garlic is.” I don’t think that’s something she’d do in her own class.
Tandem pairing representing you and your mentor:
Coffee and tea. Because, in a way, Ms. Marj is so Zen and earthy, and I’m the more energetic and hyped up. The great thing is, though, we tend to interchange from time to time. She becomes coffee, and I become tea. It’s a cycle.
Willar Mateo, Fashion Designer
Describe what you do.
I’m a designer, and to me, that’s a person who makes dreams come true. All my dreams include clothes, in some way, and that’s what the job is all about.
What do you love most about your mentor, Gian Romano?
Patterns! His patterns are really amazing. I love it because I want to explore the possibilities of fabrics. Imagine, you just draw lines on it, cut it up, and then you can make it into art. Gian’s patterns are so crazy and complicated, and in being his apprentice, I get to do them. I’m learning so much.
Aside from that, he just treats me like a brother. He’s a big brother who guides me not just in fashion but also in my love life, in my troubles. Sometimes, we don’t even work at all. We just hang out, and it makes the experience more [out-of-this-world].
Would you ever take a mentee?
Sure! But I don’t think I would be a superior to that person. I’d just want us to be like playmates in a way. I think that person would be able to express himself more and will be able to build himself up with the guidance of his playmate.
Tandem pairing representing you and your mentor:
Gian is on the darker side, and I’m a bit more playful. We’re like two brothers. One brother has a room filled with cassettes and toy robots, and the other room is full of bright stickers and My Little Pony. I guess that’s it: Decepticon and My Little Pony.
Story by Rita Faire
Photographed by Gabby Cantero
