Ben Farrales

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Ben Farrales
Born(1932-07-01)July 1, 1932
DiedMarch 6, 2021(2021-03-06) (aged 88)
NationalityFilipino
OccupationFashion designer

Ben Farrales (1 July 1932 – 6 March 2021) was a Filipino fashion designer most known for his Muslim-inspired dress designs.

Early life and education[edit]

Farrales was born on July 1, 1932, in Cotabato City to Salvador Farrales and Paulina Samio. He attended San Beda College for his early education.[1] Flunking math, Farrales also had to repeat the subject in Cotabato, where he took note of the attires worn by Muslim women in the area.[2]

Faralles attended the University of Santo Tomas (UST) for his collegiate studies where he pursued a degree on fine arts.[1] By the time he was a freshman college student, he was working part-time in a department store in Manila which is often patronized by wealthy women.[2]

Career[edit]

Ben Farrales, affectionately called "Mang Ben" had been a fashion designer for more than 60 years and had high-profile actresses and socialites as his clients.[1][3] He became known as the "Dean of Philippine Fashion", a title given to him by socialite and Karilagan Arts International founder Conching Sunito in his 30s.[2] He is known for his Muslim-inspired ternos. He was also the first Filipino to organize a fashion show at the Manila Hotel in 1959 and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., in the United States in 1984.[1]

He was designer of Ruffa Gutierrez's Sarimanok-inspired dress which she wore at the Miss World 1993 beauty pageant.[4]

Farrales has received various awards and recognitions for his works; including being named Outstanding Filipino (TOFIL), and recognitions from the Philippine Red Cross and his alma mater San Beda University.[3] He has also received an award from the Cultural Center of the Philippines in 2015.[1] He has also been endorsed to be named as a National Artist for fashion design.[4]

Death[edit]

Farrales died on March 6, 2021, at the age of 88.[4]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e Requintina, Robert (6 March 2021). "Prominent Filipino fashion designer Ben Farrales passes away". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Silvestre, Jojo (30 June 2013). "Ben Farrales, minus the 'taray'". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  3. ^ a b Silvestre, Jojo (30 June 2020). "Ben Farrales: When genius creates and shares". Daily Tribune. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  4. ^ a b c "Filipino fashion designer Ben Farrales passes away". Daily Tribune. 6 March 2021. Archived from the original on 17 October 2021. Retrieved 6 March 2021.