MANILA, Philippines ? The local fashion scene may have lost some of its best designers to careers abroad, but in recent years, it has also gained world-class Filipino talents who have honed their skills abroad and are now giving something back to their country. One of them is Filipino-Canadian Noel Crisostomo from Toronto.

After almost 20 years spent in stints at Club Monaco, Sunny Choi and Ports 1961, among others, the Ryerson University-educated Crisostomo (he was one of the Canadian students who competed at Paris? Concours de Jeunes Creaturs de Mode in the early ?90s) has trained in ready-to-wear and couture industries.

?I?d like to believe that my design aesthetic is generally polished and restrained because of my initial training as a men?s wear designer,? says Crisostomo, who was barely 20 when he immigrated with his family to Canada in the late ?80s.

This can be seen in his smart, tailored separates that are elegant yet wearable, but far from boring. The trained eye won?t miss the ingenious cuts and fabric manipulations.

But its impeccable construction, which Crisostomo takes pride in, is the tailored collection?s biggest come-on.

Having joined Toronto?s Fashion Incubator, a prestigious government project set up by the city to boost careers of fledgling designers, Crisostomo became a well-rounded designer early on.

Crisostomo also cut his chops doing red carpet numbers for more mature women while working for fellow Canadian Sunny Choi. The stint, he says, helped soften his approach to certain looks that didn?t require as much tailoring.

He also has eye-catching gowns in various materials, exquisite silk and chiffon tops, and long, billowing cotton skirts in his Makati shop.

?Since labor was expensive in Canada, you have no choice but to learn how to cut and sew to achieve your vision,? he talks of those lean years at Fashion Incubator.

Patience

Dealing with Canada?s retail establishment, he says, instilled in him the patience of Job. Apart from their demands, stores during Crisostomo?s time didn?t pay on time.

Despite being a critical success (he won two awards as a newbie), Crisostomo felt drained.

Before the situation could take its toll on his health, Crisostomo closed shop and joined Club Monaco as a consultant.

?Viewed positively, the stint taught me how the retail industry works and what appeals to a broader market,? he says. ?Along the way, I established contacts with fabric suppliers in Europe and China.?

Apart from opening his eyes to various possibilities, the exposure strengthened his resolve to strike out on his own when he later became senior designer at Ports, which was then beefing up its Asian presence in Shanghai. Manila was now a mere four hours away by plane.

It was to be his first and last posting outside Canada before two successive deaths in the family ultimately lured him back to the Philippines. Less than two years after Crisostomo?s mother died of cancer in Calgary, it was his father who succumbed to the Big C. He felt it was time to leave Shanghai and return home.

?One of the reasons I quit Ports was I wanted to spend as much time with my ailing father in Canada,? he says. ?I wasn?t able to do that when my mother got sick. I wanted to make up for that.?

After he and his siblings laid their father to rest, Crisostomo couldn?t imagine himself working again in Canada. As he himself admits, the Toronto fashion scene no longer excites him.

Fresh start

?I wanted a fresh start,? he says. ?I wanted to do couture and export RTW. It was a choice between China and the Philippines, where skilled labor is relatively affordable.?

Since Crisostomo knows the language and how the Filipino mind works, he ultimately decided to establish his overseas business in the Philippines.

?I?ve also seen how fashionable Filipinos have become,? he says. ?They make an effort to look good for much less. With so many good designers out there, the same excitement is palpable in the local fashion scene.?

While cooling his heels in Manila and assembling his team, Crisostomo found the time to share his knowledge with aspiring designers at De La Salle College of St. Benilde. Teaching comes naturally to him, as he also taught fashion for five years at Ryerson University.

?Just the other day, I came across a client who found my pieces expensive,? he says, amused. ?She equated a dress? price tag with the amount of beadwork it has.?

Just when he thought he has seen it all, now comes a different animal called the Philippine market. But having been through worse times, Crisostomo?s latest involvement seems cut out for him.

Noel Crisostomo?s shop is at 238-A P. Ocampo St. (formerly V. Cruz Extension), Makati City (call 899-7378, 0917-8001622).