Apparel | Friday, January 22, 2010

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SUPIMA IN THE NEWS: Robin Tomas on PhilStar

By Nancy Boyd

MANILA—Proof that the Supima Design Competition is international in scope?

Not only that most of the finalists in the Competition were born and/or trained elsewhere, but that the Competition made news in The Philippine Star, Manila’s English-language newspaper.

Here, in their online edition, is what they had to say about hometown hero Robin Tomas:

If Tessie Tomas is smiling from ear to ear, it’s because her only child, Robin, has just won the Supima Award for Best Reinvention of the Tee.

Robin, 33, who is based in New York, took the prize at the Supima Design Competition in New York City held last Jan. 19. His winning design will be sold in all Bloomingdale’s stores all over the US. His winning creation capitalized on the tensile strength of lightweight Supima cotton with layers of knit in various tonal shades.

Selected through an arduous contest that began with an open call held at Bloomingdale’s in October, Robin was one of six finalists whose works were featured in a live runway finale show held at the Times Center at the New York Times building in front of judges, representatives from Bloomingdale’s, Parsons School of Design, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. The finalists presented four pieces: Three pieces of women’s evening wear and one men’s T-shirt, all made from Supima cotton. Gina DeSilva, who has her own ready-to-wear label, took home the prize of Best in Show for her evening wear designs.

Robin launched his own collection during Philippine fashion week in Manila last May. Asked about his view on fashion, Robin said, “It is a great mix of entities: fantasy and practical reality; past periods and the uncharted path of what’s to come. I see fashion not just as garment being worn, but attitudes enhanced.”

A graduate of Parsons School of Design, Tomas worked as a men’s wear designer for Gap, Tommy Hilfiger and J. Crew. He interned at Valentino and Anna Sui.