Glorious Dias Reimagines Filipino Vintage

(SPOT.ph) It's hard to miss Jodinand Aguillon when he enters a room. Sure, his flashy outfits merit a once-over, but it's his presence that makes you look twice. With shoulders squared back and head held high with a warm smile, he welcomes us into his store called Glorious Dias, which quite frankly, does a pretty good job of representing his colorful character.

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Welcome to Glorious Dias

Glorious Dias is many things all at once, but if we were to start somewhere, we'd call it a vintage clothing store that carries pieces that are at least a millennial old. Countless Filipino jokes, memes, and references litter the store, which is located inside the First United Building, an art deco edifice planted along Manila's Escolta Street. Glorious Dias, along with other shops and food establishments in First United, make up HUB: Make Lab, an incubator for creatives.

"One, it's a celebration of different forms of Filipino expressions through clothing and bits of cultural heritage and history," says Aguillon about his shop.

"When the HUB first opened, I would come here as a customer. I was like, oh my God, this is amazing!" he says. In 2021, Aguillon heeded the HUB's call for a test drive pop-up. Initially, he participated for three months but the pop-up got extended and the rest is history. 

"We've always existed alongside other small businesses, makers. And it just feels more encouraging because you're not alone. It feels more purposeful."

The HUB operates on shared staff, wherein a sales person can roam around to man several stores and be approached for help on any of the establishments. It's through this that everyone knows each other and encourages sales for all that call the HUB home.

And before we forget, it is Glorious Dias, not Gloria Diaz, in case you think you misread. Everything in the store is an homage to Pinoy pop culture both old and new—from the girlypop magazines strewn across the entrance like fiesta banderitas and spoof jeepney signs, down to the baraha price tags and the multi-colored Micromatic umbrella reminiscent of roadside food carts and Undas reunions.

Glorious Dias is born confidently beautiful with a heart

Poblacion in Makati was where Aguillon really got started with Glorious Dias. But the pandemic hit and he had no choice but to sell from his home and ship the pieces to their new homes. Once restrictions loosened, Aguillon decided it was time for a change and took a chance with Escolta. Now, he enjoys patronage from both online and on-site buyers, and he couldn't be happier that more and more Filipinos are keeping creativity alive in multiple spaces.

"I've always worked in vintage, as far as when it came to retail. But a couple of years ago, I promised not to work in vintage anymore, like sinara ko yung shop ko. I'm over it," he says. But vintage followed him like a shadow and he ended up with more old clothes than he could manage.

The very bare bones of Glorious Dias "was a pop-up to get rid of all the clothes I had amassed doing all these rackets," Aguillon recalls. "I think the best thing about it was meeting the people that are also interested in lumang Filipiniana, vintage clothing. I met folks that geek out and nerd out on the same weird shit that I love, too."

When asked about other vintage stores and enthusiasts, like the folks over at Season Pass, his smile grows wider. He only has good things to say about his comrades in the business, highlighting the importance of community, and remarking how valuable these friendships are to him.

Also read: Find Graphic Tees, Designer Goods + More at This Hidden Vintage Store in Maginhawa

"I've been very fortunate to be able to work on creative and very community-driven endeavors. I really like like having these conversations with people," Aguillon says.

"There are so many different flavors in the world of vintage here in Manila."

Still, each passion has a north star, and for Glorious Dias, it's the fragments of the Filipino experience imbued within many of the pieces in his store. And really, that's what sets this vintage store apart from others. Glorious Dias is an ode to Filipino maximalism, with its bold patterns, varied textures, even the lewd jokes on the decor stickers.

"I think what sets everyone apart from each other is their perspective. I want to stay curious forever. What else can I discover? What else can I share?" says Aguillon. "I don't know if it's the only thing I'm good at, but it's really something that I wake up, and cannot wait to discover more about. I'm one of those people who are like, if you can't find a job that you're passionate about, find a way to become passionate about what you're doing no matter what it is."

He continues: "This one feels like the perfect venn diagram where I get to celebrate my community. [Rediscover or understand] my Filipinoness. Not even just the past, but where I am now with it, how I sit with it, how I live with it."

Digging through treasure

Running a vintage store is not the usual bullet you'd find on a traditional resume, and Aguillon's beginnings are just as unconventional. Prior to Glorious Dias, he had costuming gigs here and there and although he stopped, he kept most of the costuming stuff for later. He didn't really have any idea back then what to do with them but something compelled him to stick with vintage even if he wanted out.

Aguillon largely owes the love for vintage to his parents who saw the value in secondhand items, even in a foreign land. Throughout a childhood and adulthood split between Canada and the Philippines, vintage has been a constant in his life.

"Secondhand was an economical choice," Aguillon starts, before telling the story of  how his mother always dreaded a who-wore-it-better moment. "One of her biggest fears was going to a party and someone would have the same outfit as her. So she would always make pasadya. She would either get her outfit made or find something at Value Village."

"It wasn't taboo. There was nothing bad about it. No judgment about buying secondhand. It was more like you want unique stuff. It was a way for me to bond with them because they would take me on garage sales every weekend. Like let's go look for stuff," he says.

The magic found in hidden treasures bleeds into his work now. He doesn't just sell old things he finds, he feels the fabric between his fingers and breathes new life into them. His pricier, hand-refurbished pieces are a patchwork of things he loves, usually taking on classic silhouettes like the terno or the camisa, or using Filipino materials like flour sacks from a local factory or a lovely lace from a curtain that belonged to a customer. This is his favorite way of sourcing materials.

"When we were running out of things to sell online, [we said] let's try reworking some materials. I think [people really] just want something that you won't find anywhere else."

You never know what you're going to get at Glorious Dias, and it's exhilarating to brandish these little stories when your friends ask where your one-of-a-kind piece comes from.

A new face walking into the store always excites Aguillon, but a fellow third-culture kid like him finding their way into his tiny corner makes his heart sing. It feels like an even bigger win if these people fall in love with one of his refurbished pieces and bring a bit of their homeland back to their other home.

"We can play a part in being a souvenir or piece of home for them."

The future of Filipino vintage

More and more people are giving vintage shops and secondhand items a go. Finding new life in somebody else's clothes is so ingrained in Filipino culture that we even have a beloved term for it: ukay-ukay. Most of these joints offer clothes at low prices and while it may have previously attracted the Filipino on a budget, Gen Z kids finding their sense of style and community gravitate to these spots like moths to a light. 

And this is a good thing.

"It makes me feel old! And it makes me feel hopeful that this is not something that ends with my generation, it can live on as vintage does. Because it's not a trend, right? I think it's an entry point for sustainable fashion."

"I like seeing young folks and how they incorporate Filipino fashion into everyday wear," shares Aguillon.

"Come and feel the clothes. Come and touch them before you buy it. I need you to see the clothes. I need you to try it on," he requests. "I want people to come to Glorious Dias, but also come visit the HUB. Come see Escolta."

Glorious Dias chooses no particular client. Yes, anybody can walk in, and just about anybody can walk out with a piece that calls to them. When we visited Aguillon for a little chat, we saw people from all walks of life—and yes, even all sorts of styles—pass by to inspect pieces. And he knows, deep down, that other people like him are instrumental to keeping their community alive and thriving.

Aguillon, along with Glorious Dias, has always been and always will be in flux. Every day is an exercise in figuring things out and it's a relief to know that a space and all its goods somehow represent the uncertainty in each of us, in all its beautifully colored chaos. 

Also read: 10 Thrift-Shopping Tips, According to a Frequent Bargain-Hunter