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Fondly referred to as Mang Ben, Farrales was hailed as the Dean of Filipino Fashion for his mentoring of young designers for the establishment of the Ben Farrales Scholarship Foundation for the benefit of talented but disadvantaged youth.
Farrales designed costumes for the Bayanihan Dance Troupe and uniforms for Philippine Airlines. In 1954, he presented his clothes at a show called “Romance” at the Manila Hotel.
In 1958, Farrales and other young designers formed the Philippine Couture Association which became part of Conching Sunico’s Karilagan International and participated in Seattle’s World’s Fair in 1961. Other international shows such as “Pacifica” followed in the sixties and seventies touring Southeast Asia and South America.
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YOUTUBE/CULTURALCENTERPHILS
ESTEEMED fashion designer Benjamin S. Farrales, died on March 6. He was 89. Otherwise known as Mang Ben to friends and high society clients, Mr. Farrales was hailed as the “Dean of Philippine fashion.”
Born in Cotabato in 1932, the multicultural milieu in that region would set the tone for his designs. The intricate local dress of the Muslim women and the indigenous people of the area colored his work at a time when many designers looked to the West. While indigenous fabrics and embellishments are experiencing a renaissance now, Mr. Farrales had been using these materials since his career started.