?I?VE HEARD that name somewhere,? is what an average college student might say upon mention of the name Nick Joaquin. One might have to offer titles of his published works to remind young people of this man whose words they read in Philippine literature classes.

Freeway has a simpler solution: Just check out one?s shirt or hoodie.

The late National Artist for Literature is now featured in Freeway?s latest fashion collection, launched recently. He will be followed by the holiday collection honoring artist Ang Kiukok, to be launched by the end of October.

Despite being in stores only a little over a week, the Nick Joaquin collection items have been moving fast, according to Freeway?s Carissa Cruz.

?When one thinks of literature, Nick Joaquin is the first person to come to mind,? says Cruz. ?His masterful words inspired us to do great designs. He is, interestingly, also one of the few who has covered different genres such as historical writing, prose, poetry, novel and play.?

Bing Villegas, a relative of Joaquin, says that when Freeway approached them for the project, they wondered how a fashion line could incorporate Joaquin?s words into clothes. ?But when they showed us the designs, we said, ?Game!?? The designs were created by a team of artists.

?For [the] Nick Joaquin Series, we chose the works that were well-known,? adds Cruz. ?We also chose a number of poems so that we could showcase a bigger representation of the written piece as opposed to a small excerpt from a novel.?

Among the works featured are ?The Years,? ?May Day Eve,? ?A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino,? ?Landscape Without Figures,? ?Six P.M.,? ?Song Between Wars? and ?The Summer Solstice.? The collection includes T-shirts for men and women, a hoodie, a shirt dress, and a clutch.

Sheree Gotuaco, CEO of Elite Garments, says Freeway?s National Artist collection was not borne out of the recent controversy surrounding the awards, but simply because ?we feel that not a lot of young people are aware of our National Artist, Nick Joaquin.?

?I believe it?s a good way to combine culture and art for young people, and make the items accessible with their affordability.?

What would Nick Joaquin have thought of his literature on a youngster?s shirt? Literary critic Lito Zulueta said in an earlier piece that ran in this paper: ?[He would find it] quite groovy and hip. As he would often say when he was still alive, ?Sikat ano???