Javi Marcalain talks about the power of dressing up in a moment of disruption.

These days, the simple act of dressing up may be a challenge for most. The ongoing state of isolation and inactivity has left many with persisting doubt on the point of it all. Unnerved and committed, Cebu-based marketing professional, Javi Marcalain, chooses to challenge the pandemic odds. Javi sees the value in dressing up for his own satisfaction and recognizes the act as an integral part of his identity. A scroll through his Instagram page boasts a mish-mash of self-portraits (with cameos of Japanese denim) and dispatches of Cebu views, which leaves audiences with a permeating sense of laidback comfort.
L&rsquo;Officiel conversed with Javi about the evolution of his style and his undeniable fondness for his current base, Cebu.

Courtesy of Javi Marcalain

Hi Javi, how are you? What have you been up to?
I&rsquo;ve been good despite the current circumstances. I'm fortunate to be in Cebu at the moment really, apart from the number of infections here somewhat being contained, access to nature and the outdoors, whether beach or mountains, has proven to be among the things keeping me sane throughout all this. I&rsquo;ve been able to get myself into some hobbies too which has been nice. I&rsquo;ve been busy with work as well. Slowly, things are settling down here, but I wouldn&rsquo;t say it&rsquo;s back to normal or anywhere near it. I don&rsquo;t believe going back to normal is even an option anymore. We are adapting and making the best out of this new normal.

Can you tell us more about what you do?
So quick backstory, I moved to Cebu about three years ago from Manila. I ended up continuing my marketing path here, or however you call it. Back then, I was heavily immersed in retail (also doing marketing), but prior to that, I was doing marketing for real estate, FMCG brands, luxury brands, tourism, and telecommunications, to name a few. So it&rsquo;s actually not so different from what I&rsquo;m currently involved in here. I do marketing communications and branding for a company in Cebu that develops residential projects, luxury resorts, and boutique hotels, mixed-use and commercial developments, flexible working spaces, medical centers or hospitals that are located not just in Cebu but in other parts of the Visayan and Mindanao regions. I&rsquo;m also working on something exciting now, actually trying to develop a proper cocktail bar here, and working with some Manila consultants. That actually involves work beyond the usual marketing scope, but it&rsquo;s been interesting. So yeah, I&rsquo;ve also been developing some concepts for the company &mdash; research, branding, and marketing all included. That&rsquo;s been keeping me busy and on my feet, even amid all the community quarantines.

Can you name some design and fashion motifs you're attracted to?
I like workwear style a lot. I enjoy exploring its different time periods &mdash; learning about the functional aspects in their design choices, what their utility clothing was, why certain pieces were structured as such, purposeful clothing that looks and feels damn great, a lot of military coats, denim, jackets, roomy silhouettes, wide trousers, vintage pieces, and so on. I&rsquo;ve also always really liked Japanese style &mdash; their different forms of workwear which give a nod to Americana and European workwear influences. The Japanese just really do things so well and with so much passion and artistry. Japanese quality and craftsmanship are always impeccable. I also think getting second-hand pieces is cool. There's so much history in them and being able to discover them is rewarding on its own. And of course, I appreciate some nicely tailored clothing as well.

What is your style philosophy?
I think what really drives my style preferences and choices has always been about having quality pieces with a backstory. I&rsquo;d rather own two or three well-made jackets than 20 trendy ones. I'll choose quality over quantity any time of the day. Backstory could mean what the brand is about, what it stands for, its quality and design principles, history of craftsmanship, the people behind it. For example, I like eyewear a lot, and I appreciate it most from brands who devote their very existence to painstaking craftsmanship and attention to detail, even down to simple things such as the rivets and hinges you find on the frame, or even just constructing the frame itself, the subtlety of an engraved detail on the temple. For me, it&rsquo;s truly an art form, and it is for the makers as well. That I appreciate and can spend hours listening to someone talk about the artistry behind it.

When did you start caring about dressing up? How did it happen?
I think I always had it in me. I always appreciated great style from the start. I&rsquo;d always read magazines, notice people who dressed well especially overseas and see them in films and in music too. I always wanted to dress up and pay attention to dressing up better. I eventually grew from just liking great style to actually liking clothes and appreciating fabrics, great quality, and craftsmanship. But I had to discover my style, and that definitely didn&rsquo;t happen overnight. I guess I could say it started with trying to emulate certain icons or people &mdash; their style and way of dressing, and eventually, it just evolved into wanting to not dress up as anyone. Don&rsquo;t get me wrong. I do get some influences from style icons and purveyors, but I just wanted to really do things myself, not feel I had to follow anyone or a set of rules or guidebook, or be beholden to a particular style label.

How has your style changed through the years?
It&rsquo;s definitely evolved, I believe. It evolved in the sense that I&rsquo;m really just more particular about the pieces of clothing I buy and decide to wear. It&rsquo;s more calculated and again, I really just prefer brands that are more than just about the logo or the trend. In terms of style, yes, definitely it&rsquo;s changed, but it&rsquo;s also that I don&rsquo;t really follow anything in particular. I put pieces together based on how I see them in my head. Yes, I&rsquo;m sure it&rsquo;s influenced by many factors, no doubt. But I&rsquo;ve developed a style that&rsquo;s not trendy, but more a reflection of the things I value and appreciate when it comes to design and clothing.
I&rsquo;m into a number of styles &mdash; workwear, Japanese, French, British, Americana. I love a great Hawaiian shirt, streetwear, Japanese streetwear, preppy or Ivy League, tailored. I never wanted to be defined by one particular group. For example, I like streetwear, especially Japanese streetwear. I&rsquo;m influenced by it. I like certain aspects of it, but it&rsquo;s not the entirety of who I am and my style. I always found it difficult to define my style. People would ask me what would you say is your style? I don&rsquo;t really know. It&rsquo;s hard to answer that question. There&rsquo;s really not just one. I just really follow what I like, what makes me feel good, and what I think works. I&rsquo;ll probably draw inspiration from everywhere. It&rsquo;s really a mix of periods and cultures.

I observed that despite the ongoing break in normalcy, people still manage to get up each morning and find a reason to dress up. What makes you want to dress up?&nbsp;
I think even during the crazy lockdowns, I would make an effort to somewhat still dress up even if it meant the only going out I would be doing was walking my dog in the outdoor area. It&rsquo;s just really who I am; it makes me feel good to dress up. I never dressed up for anyone but myself really. So even though I was wearing more shorts and cozy wear, they still didn&rsquo;t look like I was wearing a rag or wearing the same beaten-down white shirt from the start of the lockdown. I was also still doing my mirror selfies then.

Is there a difference in your style now compared to your pre-pandemic style?
Yes. Oddly enough, I think my style got supercharged during the pandemic. I felt the drive to dress up even more, as soon as we were able to get out of our homes and go back to the work-life outside. As you know, Cebu is quite the tropical paradise with great outdoors and stunning beaches. It may not be as modern and urban as Manila, but that&rsquo;s its charm. It&rsquo;s a progressive city, but it has a nice balance of casual laidback living. The default style would really be a comfy shirt, shorts, flip-flops, or sneakers. I mean, yes, leisurewear became the style of the pandemic, but I got the urge to really dress up again.
I&rsquo;m also appreciating denim more these days. I've been enjoying reading about it and hearing from denim aficionados. I think it's such a great material with such a rich history. I&rsquo;ve always liked denim, but I grew to want to know more about it, especially the ones being produced in Japan.

What influences your style?
Japanese culture, history, different periods, vintage Americana, landscapes and places, designers and their philosophies

Who are your favorite designers?
Just a lot of Japanese designers and brands. Also French, Italian, and British ones too. Some examples: The Real McCoy&rsquo;s, Hiroki of Visvim, Toshikiyo of Kapital, RRL, Daiki of Engineered Garments, Studio Nicholson, Nigel Cabourn, Wacko Maria, Beams. Story mfg is a fun brand too and all about sustainability in clothing and ethical practices. These are just a few brands on the top of my head. A lot of my inspiration comes from these brands and designers as well.

What are your favorite fashion movements?
Evolution of workwear throughout history, vintage Americana, Ivy League, Beat Generation, Jazz Age, Fitzgerald and Hemingway in Paris in the 20s, wartime clothing and workwear in the 1940s, and Hawaiian shirts worn with high-waisted trousers

Have you observed any distinctions in the way people dress in Manila and Cebu?
Yes, I think there are definitely some distinctions. In Manila, you can easily find people dressed very stylishly &mdash; some dressed more uniquely than others, but clearly Manila has become an incubator of different fashion communities, and that can be attributed to the myriad of retail options that the city has to offer. The effects of urbanization are definitely more apparent in Manila, as it has really opened up the city to so many influences from around the globe &mdash; making it easier to find clothes or brands that really suit any style preference or inclination. Cebu, on the other hand, is quite different. I would say the style is generally more relaxed and laidback, which is fitting for the island and the lifestyle that the city boasts of. You won&rsquo;t really see a lot of people wearing suits, coats, and boots.&nbsp;

What have you learned from your time in Cebu?
I guess one of my more significant learnings would be, as much of a city boy I am, I quite like the balance that Cebu brings to the table which is the access to the outdoors. It&rsquo;s definitely easier here to find a nearby beach or head up to the mountains in less than an hour's drive. Plus, living in Cebu has made getting into hobbies a prerequisite to enjoying the full experience of Cebu life, which is quite great. A good balance of work and leisure. It&rsquo;s such a great place to be living in, especially during these times. I was worried before that work options would be limited, but that&rsquo;s hardly the case. Cebu is fast becoming a gateway for businesses. It&rsquo;s a dynamic and progressive city, so it&rsquo;s easy to make it a hub for work, and my own home base. I realize I can easily fly to Manila for the weekend if I wanted a quick food and retail fix, or just to see family and friends, of course, this was pre-pandemic. But yes, I quite enjoy living in Cebu.

In your opinion, what are the elements of a good fit?
I think knowing your body type is really important and how certain silhouettes, fabrics, cuts, and styles can make you look good or can totally make you look like a fool. Honestly, it doesn&rsquo;t matter what your body type is &mdash; thin, heavy, long, wide, muscular, short &mdash; you can always find the right clothes to make you look good. I think that&rsquo;s a journey you got to take yourself &mdash; things you&rsquo;ll figure out along the way &mdash; things that don&rsquo;t necessarily work for you but work for the current trend. And yes, you&rsquo;ll get a lot of style experts telling you what you should wear and what would fit you better. That&rsquo;s great and all. It's good to keep those in mind and learn from them, but at the end of the day, you should figure out what best fits you and your body. Those two things always go together for me. No expert is going to know the latter, except you.

"It doesn&rsquo;t matter what your body type is &mdash; thin, heavy, long, wide, muscular, short &mdash; you can always find the right clothes to make you look good. I think that&rsquo;s a journey you got to take yourself."

Javi Marcalain: On Committing to Dressing Up for One’s Self

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