Today, a rather unexpected "On this Day" throwback post popped up on my Facebook feed: a "what I wore" photo of me back in 2013, blonde hair and all, sporting a leather-finish bomber jacket with a funky accent necklace. At first glance, this said bomber jacket looks just like any other trendy item that could easily blend into any high-street boutique; but upon closer inspection, bears a signature one-off element: a hand-sketched illustration of a tribal prince, immaculately drawn and printed onto the canvas. "Naa nako'y kapartner na printing press ani, para ma mass produce na ni nako" (I have negotiated with a printer to help me mass produce this jacket soon), the designer proudly told me during the meeting where I bought this jacket and offered to carry his upcoming RTW line in the store I used to help run. That was also the first time we actually got to know each other a little better, him whose work I've long admired from afar (though he has been a longtime collaborator for a lot of my industry friends). We struck a deal, and he promised he would return soon with actual stock to display. Life seemed good.
That didn't really transpire, unfortunately. Just a few short weeks after our meeting, I woke up to the tragic news that James Canete - esteemed young fashion designer, make-up artist, photographer, and a man of many other skill sets - has succumbed to an illness and passed away at 23.
Though I've had these outfit photos for the past two years, I realize now that this would be the first time I would actually post them on the blog.
