What the world needs now is the awesome sartorial splendor that Michael Cinco can easily conjure. Imagine all the people clad in his opulent couture. We’d be living life in peace and beauty.

A meteoric talent,Cinco trotted the globe with a series of galas which culminated in Manila on 27 November at the Marriott Hotel with “The Philippine Legacy Gala 2023 — Michael Cinco: The Impalpable Dream of España.” An enthralling tribute to Spain, the spectacle was for the benefit of the Philippine Missionari della Fondazione di Carita Inc. and the Gusi Peace Prize Foundation.

Cinco was one of the awardees of the Gusi Prize last year. This is another accolade for the Samar-born, Dubai-based overachiever. In 2011, he received the Breakthrough Designer Award at the WGSN Global Fashion Awards in New York.

President Benigno Aquino III conferred the Presidential Award for Outstanding Filipinos Overseas to Cinco in 2014. In 2016, he was awarded the Best Red Carpet Designer at the Grazia Style Awards Middle East. Grazia is Italy’s fashion bible and one of the most prestigious European fashion magazines.

On gala night, Cinco’s great friend and fellow internationally renowned designer Albert Andrada, which produced the fundraising show with entrepreneur-philanthropists Archie and Judith Tan, said in his welcome remarks: “Missionary works are not easy to undertake. But seeing all of our supporters from different industries, good friends both from the government and private sector, truly inspires us continue aspiring to accomplish our mission goals. Indeed, without all of you, we will not be able to do this alone.”

Beguiling beauties and the beastly bullfighters

Penélope Cruz, wearing an Oscar de la Renta red silk faille off-the-shoulder dress and photographed by Annie Leibovitz, for the US Vogue’s December 2007 issue, is the default image when this writer thinks of an astonishing Spanish beauty.

That the Oscar-winning actress shared the cover with Spanish bullfighter Cayetano Rivera Ordóñez, who appeared with her in the film Manolete, about a legendary Spanish bullfighter named Manuel Laureano Rodríguez Sánchez, is what formed in my mind as Cinco unleashed his Spanish-inspired collection.

Add to these glamorous images Madonna’s 1994 seminal, sepia-toned music video for “Take A Bow,’ which featured real-life matador Emilio Muñoz. The setting was in turn inspired by Pedro Almodóvar’s 1986 film Matador, starring Antonio Banderas.

Cinco has traveled extensively to Spain, with Barcelona, Madrid, San Sebastian, Valencia, Seville, and Granada among his favorite places. During these times, his fascination for bullfighters, flamenco dancers, cathedrals and the carnation flower grew.

Though controversial, bullfighting, as worldstrides.com observed, is “a real cultural expression of art, where the intellect of mankind challenges the strength of the beast.”

With the use of religious imagery, themes, moods and motifs, Cinco’s vision of Spain was realized with the help of director Robby Carmona, hair and makeup creative director Jojo Dantespadua, shoe sponsor Doreen Odvina, Jewelmer and Ann Ong accessories, Fino Leatherware and headpieces by Louie Gallego.

“The materials I used for the fashion show are mainly Spanish fans, faux roses, lace, Swarovski crystals and beads, dove feathers, chains, filigrees for ornamentation, and a faux bull skull,” Gallego said, grateful for the opportunity to work with one of his idols.

España bonita

“This is not actually the first time that I’ve been inspired by Spain. The first collection was in 2011, then in 2014 in Singapore. I have always been fascinated by their beautiful culture. I love the costumes of the matadors, like their cropped jackets with exquisite embroidery. And also the elegance and grace of the flamenco dancers,” he said.

“My inspiration is also the art in Spain and their great artists such as Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, Goya,” he added. “Of course, Antoni Gaudi inspired me a lot, especially the Sagrada de Familia.”

Cinco divided his collection into five parts: “El Matador,” “Monasterio de la Sagrada,” “Flor de Clavel,” “La Señoritas” and “La Regina Dell’ Andalusia.”

“El Matador,” personified by South African model Michael Konig, led the march of toreros. The group was mostly clad in ensembles made of wool, lace, and velvet.

“The matador, representing mankind and dressed for his date with death in the fantastical if impractical traje de luz (suit of lights), goads, mocks and sentences the bull to death with the estocada, the death blow, from his sword,” as per andalucia.com. In liquid satin and black and silver numbers, models dressed like Black Friars are in the “Monasterio de la Sagrada” suite. From their dark and severe tones, one can think of the dreaded Spanish Inquisition in this segment. But Cinco seemed to be inspired by the Roman Catholic minor basilica in Barcelona designed by Antoni Gaudí.

“Flor de la Clavel,” or the carnation flower, found all over Spain and Portugal, is said to symbolize love, fascination, and distinction. They also represent feelings and emotions. Cinco unleashed his mastery of embroidery for this section.

“La Señoritas” (Flamenco Dancers) is about the very emotional, passionate and “hot blooded,” spicy Latinas. One thinks of Carmen Maura, Elsa Pataky, Inés Sastre, Esther Cañadas, Judit Mascó, Eugenia Silva and, of course, Isabel Preysler.

This was a refreshing respite from all the bling and embellishments that Cinco is known for. He made dreamy lime-green dresses in silk tulle, silk satin and chiffon. He also used Mikado, lace and satin for the other gowns in purple, pistachio and red.

“With these gowns, I wanted to show the people that I can also do beautiful dresses without heavy stones and crystals,” Cinco assured.

A heartwarming sight in this part of the show was the stunning presence of trans model Nella Johnson, one of four (Stacey, Taki and Adriana) that was cast. With her inclusion, Cinco paid homage to La Veneno (The Poison), the late Spanish singer, actress, sex worker, and media personality who is beloved as one of the more important LGBTQ+ icons in Spain.

Impossible to impalpable

The final segment was “La Regina Dell’ Andalusia.” It was a love letter to Seville, the capital and queen city of Andalusia. Miss International 2018 first runner-up Ahtisa Manalo, like she was about to wed at the Catedral de Sevilla, walked down the runway set to the haunting voice of opera singer Lara Maigue.

“I specifically chose Ahtisa because she has a beautiful and innocent face,”Cinco said of the bridal finale made of Spanish lace custom-made in Italy. “She looks ethereal.”  

Seville is an important cultural center, home to the painters Diego Velázquez, Francisco de Zurbarán and Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, the sculptor Juan Martínez Montañés, and the poet Fernando de Herrera. Miguel de Cervantes conceived of his novel Don Quixote while he was imprisoned in Seville’s jail.

Don Quixote inspired the musical Man of La Mancha, where the song “The Impossible Dream” became a global standard.

“I like the song ‘The Impossible Dream.’ It means so much in my life. But I hate the word impossible, and my favorite word is impalpable, it’s so lightweight, intangible. So that’s how I dream,” the world-class couturier shared to this writer years ago. And that’s how “impalpable” became synonymous with Cinco.