Pops Fernandez: The concert queen's closet | PEP.ph: The Number One Site for Philippine Showbiz

After three years of not doing a local major solo concert, the Concert Queen is set to re-affirm her title. Come December 8, 2007, at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Pops Fernandez is staging Divalicious, her silver-anniversary and pre-birthday show (she was born December 12,1966). The concert is also a fashion show, to remind everyone that Pops isn't just a versatile stage performer, but one of this country's fashion icons. When she opens her closet to YES!, we discover one important fashion trick—clothes and everything that goes with them need not be expensive. In fact, Pops will only buy pricey items after she's able to convince herself that she deserves them. (YES! December 2007 issue)

David Hanson Ong

Pops Fernandez: The concert queen's closet

YES! magazine

Monday, December 29, 2008
03:09 PM

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FASHION EXPERIMENTS. Pops spent her elementary and high-school years in Makati City's International School, which does not require its students to wear a uniform. She remembers wearing mostly jeans, shirts, and sneakers on campus.

"Back then, in na in ang Cinderella. So, pag meron kang Cinderella outfits, super-wagi ka, di ba? Noong medyo naging teenager na ako, naging Esprit na siya. Pero hindi naman ako maluho. I'm very practical. I wait for the time na there is a special occasion, and let's say my mom offers, ayun. Pag merong chance na puwedeng magbihis, like, kunwari, a special day in school-ayun, do'n na ako nag-e-experiment."

Between giggles that show off her best fashion accessory—her dimples—Pops adds: "Ang fashion yata that time is 'yong mga chaleco. Tapos, di ba, na-in ang tube kasi naging disco era? So, naabutan ko pa 'yong tube top, 'tapos may mahahabang parang bolero—I think that's what you called it, or coat—na you just leave open, 'tapos supertight jeans and stilettos. So, every so often, pag ginaganahan ako, may ganoon akong outfit in school, since we can practically wear anything we want, e."

It also helped that her lola, a skilled mananahi, loved sewing clothes for her. "Bumibili kami ng tela, 'tapos nagpapagawa ako ng damit sa kanya."

Her experimentation did not end with clothes.

"Nauso 'yong coloring of the hair. So, I colored my hair. I was known for my green and red hair. I got, like, a highlight of green hair here and a highlight of red hair in there. Groovy ako noon, kasi ako lang ang nakaganoon sa school. May pagka-weird na ako noon, e."

At 16, when she was offered the hosting stint on the TV variety show Penthouse Live!, she became more daring. In the beginning, however, her conservative mom, former actress Dulce Lukban, had to remind her that she was just sweet 16.

"She kept telling me, You have to dress your age. Baka akala nila, ang tanda-tanda mo na.' So if you noticed, in my first few Penthouse episodes, naka-baby-pink ako or naka-super-ruffles ako na kating-kati ako."

When the Penthouse Live! people were able to get designers and a clothing sponsor for her, she broke loose from her mom's ruffles and pinks. The clothing sponsor, Kirei boutique, was then also just starting. Their teamup clicked. "I got to feature their new style every week. Tapos, 'yon na, parang every week inaabangan na ng mga viewers 'yong sinusuot ko, and even my hairstyle."

TRENDSETTER. Pops realized that she was becoming a trendsetter only when she began receiving tons of fan mail.

"Noong ginupit ko 'yong hair ko a certain way, parang everybody was cutting their hair that way," she recalls, still amazed. "And I wasn't really very conscious about it. But then, I also began to love it. I was very flattered."

Pops admits that credit for setting fashion trends was not hers alone. "I think the pressure was more, let's say, on Jessie Mendez, who used to fix my hair and my makeup. He had to try something different every week. And, of course, the pressure also was on the people who were providing my clothes for me."

But Pops sure helped out. She remembers doing her own research. And she was bold and daring enough to try on what she had discovered in the course of her research.

"Like, I was such a Sheena Easton fan and an Olivia Newton-John fan. I think that's the reason why I cut my hair really, really short dati. Every so often, I'd suggest also. Kasi nga, parang I had other thoughts and ideas. Plus, 'yong mga nakita ko din sa mga imported fashion magazines. And I'm so grateful because Jessie is the sweetest person ever. Until now, I still see him, and he's such a darling. He's very bait, na pag nag-suggest ka, he'd even appreciate it. All the people I got to work with before were very, very mabait also."

Back then, one thing Pops didn't like was the hair spray—the most valuable fashion-and-beauty concoction of the '80s. "And I didn't enjoy the tissing of the hair, 'cause masakit siya, e' she says, grimacing at the memory. "Tsaka, pag tinatanggal mo na 'yong hairdo mo, maski na shampuhin mo siya nang maka-dalawa, tatlong shampoo, matigaspa rin 'yong hair mo. As in, no matter how badly you conditioned it, alam mo 'yon? So, I really didn't appreciate that super-tissed, hair-sprayed look.

"Although back then, of course, feeling ko pag flat ang hair ko, hindi ako puwedeng lumabas ng bahay. Parang feeling ko, 'My God, I didn't fix myself.' Alam mo 'yon?Di ba, lalabas ka long, kailangan ang taas-taas ng bangs mo? So, at least, the bangs, nilalagyan ko ng hair spray."

These days, Pops likes all things simple and natural, simple and classy.

"I'm so grateful na nauso 'yong the natural look, and I never thought na babagay sa kin 'yong flat hair. Yonpala, it's really just whatever fashion dictates and whatever you get used to after a while."

Still, she admits she has her moods and quirks.

"There are seasons na gusto ko super-super classy long talaga na super-super simple. So, I will stick to that and all the clothes that I buy will be super simple long. Like all my black simple dresses. Tapos, there are moments naman na, 'Ay, napaka-simple ko na, I wanna go more on the trendy. So, I follow na kunwari whatever is the latest trend. Like, ngayon, I go for baby-doll dresses, a little bit on the mini side."

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