For the many that have gone through its doors, Fashion Institute of the Philippines has been a lot of things: a school, a community, a stepping stone, a crossroad, a realization, a diversion, and even a home. In contrast with what most expect of the fashion world, or what they get from watching Project Runway, FIP is all about fostering a nurturing, non-discriminating, truly open learning environment with the goal of passing on knowledge and, ultimately, improving the fashion industry and the state and name of the Filipino designer both in the country and, maybe more ambitiously, in the world over.

Founder of the school Shanon Pamaong is, of course, a staple of the local fashion industry. Renowned for his distinct style and attention to detail and finishing, and having himself been a graduate of Esmod International in Paris as well as having gone around the globe with his subtly spectacular designs, Shanon set up the Institute aiming to train local aspiring designers in the extremely practical and modern techniques he himself learned over the course of his studies and experiences. Key to his goals were making sure that every single graduate would have definitive skills to execute any designs they envisioned, as well as a practical understanding of each key aspect of the local industry, from gauging fabric consumption so as to make buying the number yards precise, to the practicalities and applications of design principles to the local market, to having baselines and standards for pricing, consignment, direct selling, and other business concerns of fashion.

"Most of the people who enroll in FIP come in with zero knowledge," says John Herrera, an instructor specializing in fashion design in the school. "They usually enroll in the Basic Fashion Design course with some curiosity, many not really knowing what to expect. But when they finish their eight sessions, pretty much 100 percent of the students can draw for fashion and are able to draw a whole collection. It’s only their speed that varies." John, himself a young designer gaining popularity in the field, started out as a student of FIP. "When I first enrolled here, I kept thinking to myself, this is like a laboratory—a laboratory of couture," John says. After becoming assistant to Shanon for some time, he eventually graduated to teaching, finding a certain fulfillment in passing on his own knowledge and watching many a graduate succeed and sometimes even surpass him.

"The change in a day—from when they start in the morning to when they end in the afternoon—is visible," John says. "Students really feel that they’re learning the practical, useful aspect of fashion design."

"We want to make sure students know what they’re doing," explains Aries Lagat, who specializes in teaching pattern making and sewing. "We usually advice enrollees to take Basic Fashion Design along with Pattern Making and even Sewing." The Pattern Making course in FIP is far from the old-school style of guesswork, which is still the most prominent in the country. Theirs is a scientific method that doesn’t suffer the probability of human error because it is, in fact, an exact science. "Many graduates who have their own ready to wear clothing lines find this important, so that they won’t be at the mercy of a pattern maker or cutter who may or may not be able to translate their designs into reality, which is usually the case. Clients are always conscious of the proper fit of clothes, and old styles of pattern making make fit a matter of guesswork. This system is exact and starts from scratch, and graduates are at industry level that they would even pass the trade test if they wanted." Gone are the months in and out of repeated pattern tracing with no reasons or explanations to it—there is a professionalism that comes with the science, an ability to deliver to clients as ordered and a precision needed for reproduction and larger quantities of work.

Initially, for the class of 10 to 12 beginning students, the eight, whole-day sessions each for Fashion Design and Pattern Making (for a total of 16 sessions) may seem quite a lot to take in. Yet the integration comes in steps, and slowly, as the courses go along, they fall in place, like puzzle pieces, as lessons learned in previous sessions suddenly resurface in useful ways later in the course. Graduate, who have taken more advanced or alternative courses, such as Haute Couture, Menswear and Advanced Fashion Illustration, have learned to love not just the product, but the whole process. "You really feel the change," says graduate Vanessa Ang, who herself had come from a number of fashion schools, including Parson’s in New York and plans to return, this time armed with her new set of skills. "You don’t feel judged, even if we’re all very different in our designs. We value each other’s differences. In fact, here, you actually learn where you lean towards, what you’re good at."

"Good design is good design," says Pier Lim, another continuing student of the advanced courses. "Here, you just get another person’s perspective, and you get honesty and constructive criticism." It would seem their sentiments are echoed in resounding chorus, by students both past and present. Students here have come to speak their minds, as opinions are valued and questions are welcomed and certainly not judged. Furthermore, students quickly go beyond simply the politically safe notions of a "good collection" or "nice collection" as they form not only a solid idea of what they like or feel aesthetically, but a sharpness about structure in clothing.

Like any other school should be, FIP fosters continuous learning. "Here, even if you finish a course, you’re welcome to come back, whether to refresh your knowledge or to do your own work," says John. "A lot of professional designers come to study technique here, and a lot of graduates come back to sit in with other classes to learn more from new students. Learning is a continuous process—a lot of times it isn’t just my students learning from me, but I learn from them as well."

The students who have passed through FIP are a good couple of hundred, with a whole range of backgrounds, from aspiring design students who have been, and gone through, several other schools, to business people with ready-to-wear clothing stores, to experienced designers who have seen the runway time and again, to owners of major clothing franchises in the country—the likes of the Gozums of the YRYS Boutiques, the Ocampos of Exclusively His, Dita Sandico-Ong, Ronaldo Arnaldo, Dennis Martin, and a slew of other talents. The faculty consists mainly of former students and low-key designers such as John, Aries, and Jerome Ang, who teaches Advanced Fashion Illustration, as well as strong, credible professionals in their field, like Rencie Santos who teaches Accessory Design—all share Shanon’s vision of a giving, growing school not centered on gaining praise for themselves, but honestly watching others learn and fulfill their potentials.

At the end of the day, it is the combination of professional techniques, creative freedom, and a generous, genuine environment that keep people coming back and attracts new curious, aspiring minds to enter through the clear glass door. Beginner or old pro, in the classrooms of FIP, all stand on common ground, and none is considered better than the rest, only different, unique and strong designers and dreamers in each their own way.