MANILA, Philippines ? After covering fashion for more than two decades, with some measure of success, and playing tennis for 1/8th of that time, with some measure of failure, I?ve come to realize that fashion, like tennis, thrives on rivalry. Agassi-Sampras, Federer-Nadal in tennis. Pitoy Moreno-Ben Farrales, Inno Sotto-Auggie Cordero-Joe Salazar in fashion.

It is the spirit of competition and rivalry that helps raise the craft and the industry to even higher levels. It is what drives the pursuit of excellence and perfection. It is the best weapon against mediocrity. It is what helps turn fashion into art.

That must be the rationale behind every fashion show?to discover and showcase talent, find market for this talent, and establish the position of such talent vis-à-vis others in the industry.

In the ?70s-?80s, considered the golden age of Philippine fashion, it was the series of daily fashion shows that produced the likes of Ernest Santiago, Cordero, Sotto, Gang Gomez, Joe Salazar, Rusty Lopez, Larrie Silva?indeed the stalwarts of fashion. The shows bared the level of their competence, the evolution of their designs?and how they compared with and against each other.

Today, however, some fashion shows seem to have forgotten that rationale. Sometimes they?re just a parade of designers and clothes?in a sense, no different from ?parada ng lechon,? an exercise rendered meaningless because it?s been reduced into a spectacle. No thought to the craft, to evolution of design, to the art.

Of course, in the ?70s and ?80s, the government, led by an image-conscious First Lady and other prominent patronesses, mounted fashion shows. The designers didn?t have to look far for funding.

In recent years, however, big business has stepped up to the plate, and fashion has benefited immensely from that. Without brands that target the lifestyle markets, there wouldn?t be fashion shows to give designers a platform to showcase their work.

Inquirer Lifestyle?s ?Face Off,? to be staged with and funded by Samsung, aims to revive the spirit of competition in fashion. It will show the collections of Rajo Laurel, Rhett Eala and Randy Ortiz?in that order of appearance?at the Main Lobby of the Cultural Center of the Philippines on June 23, to the live music of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra.

It is meant to show how the designs of these three contemporaries have evolved, and where they are today. (Laurel and Eala started in fashion in the same year, 1990; Ortiz in 1988.) The more than 20 pieces from each designer should give a fairly good picture of their art and craft today.

It is commendable that a global giant like Samsung is buying into the contemporary design field. Of course, that is obviously because its products are heralding contemporary design and style. But what?s good is that this Korean firm can support Philippine fashion without interfering with the designers? creative exercise, or even with the show?s mounting.

?Face Off? also has the support of HSBC and Via Venetto. TSS