Levenson Rodriguez
Pushing for Awareness Through Fashion
By Kiki Tan
PHOTOS COURTESY OF LEV RODRIGUEZ
PUBLISHED: NOVEMBER 2009
Hands on.
That may best describe Levenson Rodriguez, model cum stylist cum press relations officer cum tailor cum educator cum… well, numerous other handles.
“I started as a model. Then a fashion editor asked me to assist him for a photo shoot when I was 20 – which was when I realize that I can do better styling if I design the clothes myself,” Levenson says, adding that, obviously, he became what he thought he’d be best at.
Entering the fashion industry (generally, the umbrella industry he belongs to) does not present THAT big a difficulty for GLBTQIAs, Levenson notes. “I believe the fashion industry is the most tolerable industry to the GLBTQIA community. As a matter of fact, it (is more challenging) for the heterosexual men – so it’s (the challenge) the other way around. (Not only do they have to come up with good designs, but) when guys enter the industry, especially as fashion designers, they are thought of as gay right away, and the idea of defending himself not being gay is something I believe is very hard for a heterosexual guy,” he says.
Levenson is the first and for three years now since he entered the industry, still the only one to offer bespoke tailoring (custom-made according to customers’ specifications) among the country’s fashion industry players.
This, of course, is one of what he sees as his biggest achievements – along with spearheading Project Vanity, launched in October 2009 as a gathering (for a publication) of the bigwigs of the local fashion industry, which Levenson says “humbles me a lot; for these people to pose, (giving me) time from their very busy schedules is something I can be very proud of. Truly, to be respected and be accepted in the fashion industry is a big achievement for any fashion designer.”
Self-described to have a “minimalist purist” style, Levenson’s biggest influence is – interestingly – not a “somebody,” but the “ever changing marketing strategy of different companies, and how businesses are being sold to the consumer market,” he says, adding that it’s the demands of time that drive his work’s direction.
Levenson is, by the way, also a fashion marketing educator at the La Salle College International.
“If given the chance to promote or address GLBTQIA issues, or if someone would ask for my help to lobby issues for public awareness, I'll be more than willing to come up with such a project,” Levenson says, adding that, in the past, “it didn't stop me co-branding with the (now closed) Club Government in spite of people telling me that it might affect my brand, (with) my heterosexual clients pulling out since we might be labelled gay. As an independent designer, (I can address the pink market).”
Levenson is first to admit the GLBTQIA community still has much to do.
“Transgenders are still being discriminated against, for example, and there are still very few places/bars that cater for (them),” he says, stressing how this has got to be dealt with properly soon. There’s admiration for the GLBTQIA community, nonetheless, because of “their creativity and their willingness to be on top of their games whichever fields they are in,” Levenson says.
In 2010, as a member of the Fashion Designers Alliance Manila (FaDAL), “we're planning to do a safe sex campaign,” Levenson says. This is because “people can relate to fashion a lot and they response to it. So if we do this campaign, people would hopefully be more aware of the advocacy.”
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