Leaping W.O.R.M.S.
By Frolic Tan Lopez

Among others, he served as a production designer of Gaby’s Extra-Ordinary Files (ABS-CBN 2), Ka Pete Na! – Totally Outrageous Behavior (ABS-CBN 2), Gee-gee at Waterina (Big Apple Productions), Ikaw Lamang (Giant Sponge Productions), 22nd Star Awards for Philippine Movies (ARG Productions), Pinoy Out of the Box (Mandata Corporation), Rock da Vote (ABS-CBN), and MONA: Singapore Escort (Bandit Productions).

Catalan also served as wardrobe consultant of Room 213 (Viva Films and Kino Art Productions); art director for Tambolista (Cinema One Originals); associate art director of MEMO Magazine; and contributing stylist of MetroHim.

HARD WORK

Interestingly, even though Catalan says return on his investments came after only approximately six months, things weren’t always easy.  At first, “I had to do everything by myself – cutting, sewing, painting, marketing, selling – the works,” he says.  But now, even if he still has the final say on the designs, he is now “able to have people to do a bit of (the tasks for me).”

A large part of his success he credits to his being gay.

“No, it hasn’t been hard (for me, as a gay guy, to) start a business.  People trust designers especially when they’re gay because they can tell that ‘us’ people are creative and ingenious,” he says, adding that being gay has even entered his designs, with the use of gay lingo in some of his prints.

The “dash of gay-ness” is but part of what makes W.O.R.M.S. unique, though, as Catalan also draws inspiration from music, as he did when he just started (“What I listen to at the moment maybe always translated into my designs,” he says); and by graffiti, which “I currently incorporate in my shirt designs with (that) dash of gay-ness.”

Drawing on being gay is easier now, says Catalan, largely because “at least now, gays are not typecasted as weak and sissy-like (as we used to be, and are now seen as) strong and serious people too, and we mean business,” he says.  “We now have a voice, and we can say what we want.”

This is why gay entrepreneurs should “keep on dreaming and doing what it takes to get it, and I mean, you REALLY have to want ‘IT’ while being fabulous,” Catalan says.