Gown with 3D figures captures social media

Isabel Luche wears the gown that’s now making waves on social media at SM City Cebu for the Sinulog Festival Queen 2018 contest. —LITO TECSON/CDN

CEBU CITY—The Sinulog costume currently making waves on social media was meant to deliver a message of hope in a time of discord.

It was designed by Mark Barry Luche and was a 3D representation of a church, mosque, native huts and heritage house laid out on what appeared to be rice terraces.

Worn by Luche’s cousin, Isabel, the costume was for the Daanbantayan town contingent in the Sinulog Festival. But for Luche, it meant more than that.

Luche, an education graduate, said the costume spoke of diversity.

“Whatever religion we have, when paying homage to the Sto. Niño, we become united,” said Luche, who also choreographed the performance of Tribu Kandaya that represented Daanbantayan.

Staring at a gown

He said he came up with the design while sitting in a chair, staring at a bare ball gown.

Luche said it took him two weeks to finish the ball gown, which he called “Mother Nature.” It cost him about P6,000 to make.

He said he wasn’t expecting his design to go viral on social media. “It’s a nice feeling when people appreciate and admire your work,” he said in response to the attention that his design had drawn.

For this year’s design, Luche said he used foam, rubber mat and items recycled from the props of other contingents.

In 2010, Luche also drew attention to his design of an underwater-themed costume for the Moalboal contingent during the Sinulog Festival, which then won the Best in Costume award.

‘My creation’

“I am very proud,” he said. “It is my creation.”

Luche, who hails from a family of politicians, revealed his career in design suffered a big blow in 1998 when he got hooked on drugs.

“I was a victim of drug addiction,” he said. “My life was already negative that time,” added Luche, a nephew of Daaanbantayan Mayor Vicente Loot.

He said he asked his parents to bring him to a drug rehabilitation center in 2000 when he realized “it is not yet too late.”

“I had still a lot of time to start all over again,” he said.

Luche spent six months in the rehabilitation center. He had been derided, called an “addict” and a “thief” by people who now praise him for his achievements.

The low episodes in his life gave Luche more strength and faith in the Sto. Niño.

He made it a point to narrate his struggle with drugs to young people just to make them aware of the damage that drugs could make.

“There is really hope in life,” Luche said.