"I have to admit that I don't think about the man; it's really about the woman. If she is pleased with herself, then maybe the man will be pleased too," said Josie Natori, on designing the lingerie that she made her mark on, 31 years ago.
Her husband and business partner Ken, ever by her side, jokes, "Of course, it's the men who benefit."
Natori Company's chairman and its founder and chief executive officer were at a press conference to promote The Art of Natori Gala Dinner and Benefit Show organized by the Asia Society Philippine Foundation and the Asian Cultural Council Philippines, to be held on Feb. 29 at the Makati Shangri-La. It is presented by BDO Private Bank and American Express Peso Platinum Card, in cooperation with MARRECO, Nokia, Rustan's and Store Specialists, Inc., and a host of other sponsors.
The benefit show will pay tribute to the work and achievement of Ms. Natori in business and the arts. It borrows the title of her book, which recounts her aesthetic and personal inspirations that include her Filipino roots, her affinity for the arts, as well as the rich
Japanese culture of her husband.
Lasting one hour and 30 minutes, it will feature selections from Ms. Natori's ready to wear and couture collections never before seen in Manila—including archival pieces and items from her newest venture, Natorious, which comes out this fall. Interspersed are performances by grantees of the Asian Cultural Council, including Grace Nono, and a citation for Rockefeller Foundation Awardee Nestor Jardin of the Cultural Center of the Philippines.
Art promotion
The Art of Natori is chaired by Imelda Cojuangco, co-chaired by Isabel Wilson, Doris Ho, Nene Quimson, Mons Tantoco, and Lizzie Zobel, together with its members Ching Cruz, Irene Francisco, Marrot Moreno, and Tina Ocampo. Proceeds from the benefit will support Asia Society's educational programs and the Asian Cultural Council's grant programs.
Established in 1963 by John D. Rockefeller III, the Asian Cultural Council has provided more than 200 individual fellowship grants to artists, scholars and specialists from Asia and the United States. Since the establishment of the Asian Cultural Council Philippines Foundation Inc. in 2000, more grants have been given to assist the arts community in the Philippines.
For their part, the Asia Society is an international nonprofit educational organization dedicated to strengthening the relationships and inter-cultural communications among the peoples of Asia and the U.S. The Asia Society Philippine Foundation, its only office in Southeast Asia, supports this mission of fostering understanding among peoples of Asia and the U.S.
Ms. Natori was trustee of the Asia Society for many years, chairing a year-long exhibition that traveled from New York and Seattle of 19th Century Philippine Clothing. She has also been a long-time advocate of the Asian Cultural Council. Her aim in returning to the country is
really to raise funds for the artists of the Philippines.
"I've been gone for 44 years, but I consider myself foremost a Filipino. With our kind of upbringing here, we're surrounded by beautiful things… Filipinos have that kind of sensibility, aesthetics, retail [savvy] and workmanship… [and] part of what distinguishes
Natori is our love of all things Asian," said Ms. Natori.
"Fifty percent of Natori [products] are still made in the Philippines, although for practicality, there are items also made in China, because there are fabrics there that can't be had here. But in terms of workmanship, true luxury is made in the Philippines, and we're very
proud of that," she added.
Celebrating Natori
Ms. Natori is all for Filipino designers to strike out on their own, in the U.S. or elsewhere.
"The world is a little different today than when I started years ago… now, you almost have to count what's not Asian. It's a tough business, but it's not really who you know, it's just being there and succeeding. It's there to be had… it's much more open today, there is more opportunity, you just need to get out there and express yourself to the world," she said.
Such sentiments are not surprising from someone who has never lacked courage. Her fashion career started with a couple of hand-embroidered blouses from the Philippines
that she transmuted unto nightshirts and sold to Bloomingdale's. An investment banker
for Merrill Lynch at the time, she felt she had hit upon something that women would want
to wear.
And she was right.
The Natori Company eventually grew to include four distinctive lines—Josie Natori, Natori, Josie, and Cruz—within one collection, later adding on Natori Trousseau, Natori Underneath, and Natori Home.
Her brand is said to encompass and express "the full spectrum of women's lives"—intimate apparel, ready-to-wear (which includes menswear and children's clothing), couture, fragrance, jewelry and home collections. Natorious is yet another effort to find a new creative playing field.
"I enjoy the process of creating and moving on to the next thing… [Natorious has] easy separates, skirts and tops, but still sexy and feminine. We're showing a portion of it in the show, but it will be in the stores this fall. So I've been having fun with that," she said,
adding that currently Rustan's holds Josie and Natori, but she's keeping the option open of adding more lines and perhaps even opening a free-standing boutique in the future.
As for Filipino design's impact on the world, she has this to say: "There's a great respect for Filipino… we are a conglomeration of Spanish. American and Chinese, [it] makes us much more unique, and much more international… It's hard to say what's a Muslim look, a
Spanish look, but there's a great appreciation of the kind of work here… What is important is that the creativity just comes out."
For more information on the Natori Gala, call 810-8983 or 752-4374.
This article was originally published in the 29 February-1 March 2008 issue of BusinessWorld Weekender.
Photo of Ms. Natori was taken at a more recent event, as captioned. Retrieved from her personal Instagram account [@josienatori] in a post dated 21 November 2022.