One of the highlights of the month of March was the much-awaited Mardi Gras Parade which was participated by LBTQi organisations in Australia and beyond. Each year the Filipino Lesbian and Gay Community (FLAGCOM) & Friends’ participation draws much admiration from people in the parade and the spectators both locally and those who watch the television coverage.
This year, on March 5, FLAGCOM once again shone. As published on the GuideToGay website, FLAGCOM & Friends received two nominations in the 2022 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival Awards. These are:
*Ron Muncaster Award for Best Costume
*Ron Austin Award for Most Fabulous Parade Entry
FLAGCOM & Friends won the 2020 Ron Muncaster Award for Best Costume.
The ABC which did the coverage of this year’s Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival, featured FLAGCOM’s costumes and interviewed Sydney-based international designer Rene Rivas to speak about his support for FLAGCOM and designing its Mardi Gras Parade costumes over the years. Rene Rivas is famous internationally for costume designs for film, theatre and stage productions. He was instrumental in the design of the Priscilla, Queen of the Desert costumes and has designed several performers and dancers.
Rene has helped many organisations with their costume designs. He was one of Mardi Gras first volunteer costume designer and collaborated with Peter Tully for many years. For this year’s costumes, Rene explained in his interview that the costumes reflect Ati Atihan which is the Philippines’ biggest festival.
The other creative involved in the designing and making of the Ati-Atihan costumes for FLAGCOM this year is Hector "Totong" Gellangarin. Fifty-five year old Totong is a versatile Filipino fashion designer for more than three decades with an exceptional passion to advocate the "Hablon" textile from his home province in Iloilo, Philippines.
Totong has successfully expanded his creative vision from taking part in local and international fashion shows as President of the Designers' Guild of Iloilo and directing beauty pageants like Miss Paraw Regatta. He had established his credibility as one of the country's multi-awarded cultural costume designers as part of the Iloilo City's Dinagyang Festival and its winning streaks for many years. He was involved through LM Production, an arts and entertainment group in Sydney.
"Designing for FLAGCOM Mardi Gras is more than just a selfless showcase of my creativity but a heartfelt expression of my true advocacy to collectively promote, preserve, and take pride of our global cultures. As a fashion designer, I believe I am entrusted with a social calling not just to create clothes and attires that reflect beauty or elegance, but also need to make a mark to inspire people to love and appreciate their cultural heritage that transcends the wisdom of the past and traditions.”
The announcement of the winners of the awards will be held on April 21 at the Universal in Oxford Street.
With passionate and selfless creatives like Rene and Totong behind it, FLAGCOM & Friends is sure to keep shining for the years to come.