Threads of Legacy: 66 Years of the Jurado Study CollectionSeptember 8, 2025
In 1959, Dr. Leonarda Jurado started a collection of traditional Filipino clothing as part of her course on the Development of Costume, under the Clothing, Textiles and Related Arts (CTRA) program. Over the years, it has expanded through contributions from various sources, amounting to over 2,800 pieces of historical and cultural clothing, textiles and accessories. For years, the collection was known as the CHE Costume Museum, under the care of the Department of Clothing, Textiles and Interior Design (CTID). It is then proposed to be renamed as the “Jurado Study Collection” in honor of the professor who started it, and to emphasize its role as an educational resource.
Now in its 66th year, an anniversary exhibition was launched on August 18, 2025, together with “Aberrations”, a collection of ternos created and curated by Clothing Technology students for CTech 14: Philippine Clothing and Textiles (2nd semester A.Y. 2024-2025). Through the UPD-OICA Grants Program, the exhibition was organized by Ms. Kim Agatha Quiñola, the then faculty-in-charge of the Jurado Study Collection, and Ms. Ruth Makenzie Roque, the junior museum aide. To open the exhibition, the pink ribbon was unraveled by Dean Shirley Guevarra of the College of Home Economics and Director Monica Santos of the Office for Initiatives in Culture and the Arts.
The exhibition celebrates the history and development of the Jurado Study Collection, and features select pieces from the archives, emphasizing their value as educational resource for the study of Philippine historical and cultural clothing, as well as textile conservation. The joint exhibit "Abberations" is a prime example of how the collection can be effectively used for courses. Each student chose a saya de cola from the archives, and designed a matching baro and pañuelo to complete the terno ensemble. The sleeves must be historically accurate, yet the students can experiment with materials and embellishments, and reinterpret the baro as “shaped by personal histories, cultural fragments, and creative expression.”
The exhibition is located on the 4th floor Exhibit Hall of the CHE Museum Building in the College of Home Economics, University of the Philippines – Diliman. It is open to the public every Tuesday to Friday, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm, until its end on October 30, 2025. Class field trips are welcome. Email the museum team beforehand: checostumemuseum.upd@up.edu.ph
Learn more about the Jurado Study Collection through their social media platforms:
www.instagram.com/upche.costumemuseum
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List of Acknowledgements:
