By Ariel Patawaran
Pitoy Moreno, one of the greatest fashion designers of the country, credited for popularizing Filipino textile and the Maria Clara, passed away yesterday at 2:48 p.m. at the age of 87.
He was the “Fashion Czar of Asia,” and his designs toured the world, from the World’s Fair in Seattle, Washington to New York City. They were the toast of the town, and the world – through the pages of Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Holiday, and Le Figaro – was acquainted with Filipino flair and craftsmanship, and the intricacies of jusi, piña, and lepanto.
The First Ladies of the Philippines, and even the US – Nancy Reagan, Pat Nixon, and Betty Ford – as well as Queen Sirikit of Thailand, Queen Margarretta of Bulgaria, Queen Sophia of Greece, Princess Margarat of Britain, Princess Suga of Japan, and other notable women in history wore his original Maria Clara masterpieces, brandished with elaborate beadwork and flawless embroidery.