VP/Spotlight | SOUND OF FASHION: A Decade of Jason Dy on the Fabrics of His Artistry

One Sunday afternoon, over a cozy lunch while watching television, you surely have seen a man standing out on the stage of ASAP, leaving a mark through music and making a statement with his fashion—sometimes sparkly, at times in striking colors, and some occasions with peculiar cuts, but always brave and strong. He is Jason Dy, stepping into the limelight and weaving the fabrics of his artistry.

Aside from his vocal prowess that made him the grand champion of The Voice Philippines Season Two a decade ago, one’s eyes could easily spot Jason on a stage of performers with the distinct visual charisma that he holds through his fashion. As the lights hit his sequinned coat or as the wind blows through his fringe jacket while he belts out a song, he instantly locks our eyes on him. “I don’t see music just as auditory lang—sa tainga lang. Sa akin kasi, music is also visual—it’s an experience for me, so I like to match my presentation and my imaging with the music. It’s a whole universe for me,” Jason shares when I asked him about the connection he sees between his passion for music and fashion.

Every ensemble he wears creates a statement that we really are over the era of sticking to the conventional take on what and what not to wear. Life is fun, and so are the countless ways we dress and present ourselves! His brave decision to step out of the box and express himself in more ways than he used to allowed Jason Dy to find himself navigating the fabrics of his artistry, mastering the sound of fashion.

A Thread of Inspiration

Every fabric starts with strings and a vision of its becoming. In the same way, Jason’s sense of style and artistic expression all began with a thread of inspiration and a dream that held onto years ago—back in an era that raised an entire generation with an extreme fascination and appreciation of the pop culture living in the rich visuals and sounds of the music television. “Early on pa lang, medyo mahilig na ako sa damitan talaga or sa fashion. It goes back to music din kasi I grew up in the MTV generation, so I watched a lot of music videos growing up,” Jason narrates as he recalls grazing on the visual feast and sounds of music videos rather than animated shows.

His young mind understood that the coexistence of fashion and music in one’s artistic expression allows an even powerful way of storytelling. While the younger Jason enjoyed watching artists perform, his eyes were keen to details enough to appreciate and develop his sense of style. “Symbiotic lahat ‘yon e—the relationship of music, fashion, performance. Kasi kunwari sa music video, nanonood ka, pinakikinggan mo ang music, napapansin ko rin kung ano ‘yong sinusuot ng artist, kung pa’no nila pini-present ‘yong sarili nila.”

As Jason Dy continues to unroll the thread of inspiration for his creative expression, both in style and sound, the nostalgia gets even realer. He recalls the day when he would always get excited when the Video Music Awards season came around, which thrilled him to see the fashion that his favorite artists would pull off. “Kapag red carpet na parang ‘Oh, nandyan na si Lenny Kravitz, ano kaya ‘yong suot niya?’ or kaya nandiyan na ang NSYNC dati—grabe ‘yong mga leather coats nila, ‘yong mga spikey hari nila, ‘yong mga frost tips, turtle neck!” His innocent appreciation of clothing, style, and music shaped a perspective on fashion that he upholds to this day.

“Clothes are fun for me e. It’s just another outlet for me to express creativity.”
—Jason Dy

Going back in time a little more, he revealed that some of his fashion references in the present are from the 70s, where choices scream uniqueness and fluidity. “I love the whole aesthetic, the sound, the vibe of that decade—disco, early rock and roll, David Bowie, Elton John, Rolling Stones, ‘yong mga ganiyan.” Clearly, this era plays a crucial role in his thread of inspiration, shaping his sense of style today. On the other hand, with the social norms and standards that run through the veins of the entertainment industry, it took Jason some time to make braver fashion choices.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, like many of us, Jason became isolated from the rest of the world, causing him questions on his existence. “Naiasip ko, grabe, namatay na lang ako, hindi ko man lang nasubukang magsuot ng sparkly na blazer, hindi man lang ako nakapag-suot ng fringe or something like that, so parang sayang! Di ko na-fulfill ‘yong parang Lenny Kravitz na look, na dati ko pa gustong gawin,” Jason shared. His introspective journey at that time ignited the inspiration he once had growing up.

“I took it upon myself to explore more and be braver with my fashion choices.”
—Jason Dy

From that point, he began exploring styles and experimenting with looks that he once dreamed of trying on. From being used to wearing black suits and bomber jackets when performing, Jason pulled the thread of inspiration from his mind and worked with designers who turned his sparkly, glittery, fringed, and all other brave fashion visions into life.

Jason Dy Cuts Through the Standards

Whenever Jason Dy performs on the stage, walks down the red carpet, or steps outside his door, he always seems to be coming straight out of a fashion stylist’s closet. He wears clothing ensembles that just scream chic, classy, and out-of-the-box. It’s as if he’s got a checklist dressing up—fitting, cuts, colors, texture, and everything about fashion! But what makes it even more interesting is that he does not have a personal stylist, just himself and the child in him that has always had a fascination for a higher sense of style.

While his shift towards braver fashion choices came from a personal decision, it also dares to challenge the “normalcy” that society has been imposing on fashion and expression. Jason Dy is cutting through the fabrics of social standards and norms on how a man is expected to present himself. He brushes off the expectations and pressure right off his shoulders to let his sparkly and sequinned outfit shine through, making a statement that fashion knows no limitation, especially not gender.

“For me, clothes are a bunch of threads and fabrics that we put on our body. Kung titingnan mo ‘yong history ng tao, kung paano sila manamit, tayo lang naman ang nagba-box ng sarili natin sa kung ano ‘yong dapat kahit wala naman talaga.”
—Jason Dy

Having an enthusiasm for what the fashion world has to offer him, Jason’s present wardrobe selection has its foundation rooted in the freeing power of fashion, especially in eras where fluidity flourished. “Nakakatuwa lang ‘yong swing back and forth fashion—kung paano ‘yong presentation ng mga tao kasi dati pa naman ginagawa na nila ‘yon e—‘Yong genderless fashion,” Jason said, referencing back to the 70s. Clinging onto this ideal, Jason lets nothing hold him back from wearing even the most peculiar pieces, as long as they let him breathe in confidence and show the world his most authentic version. “It helps me rin to feel good e, na kapag lumalabas ako ng bahay, nakapostura ako, or confident ako sa outfit ko this day.”

Meanwhile, his bravery to go against the conventional has always been inside him as a child. Jason revealed how, during his younger years, he would always take every chance on wash days to turn his school’s corridors into a personal runway. “Dati pa lang, bata pa man ako, gano’n na ako pagdating sa outfit. Kahit sa school namin dati—I went to a catholic school—I would always look forward to Wednesdays kasi ‘yon ang wash day! It’s a chance for me to put on an outfit or an ensemble.” Jason does not simply ride on the trends; he sets them himself, and when he does, he does it unapologetically confident.

“You can basically wear whatever you want, and if may mga taong may comments or whatever, you can choose not to listen or ignore them kasi what do they know? It doesn’t really affect you personally, so sa kanila na ‘yon. Problema na nila ‘yon if they have something to say.”
—Jason Dy

Since his great realization of these ideals, Jason has freed the creative force in him in more ways than he used to. His fashion choices even helped him establish an image as a performer, leaving a mark in the hearts of his audience through his sound while catching their eyes with his style. He now finds joy in getting associated with certain fashions, which his industry friends call “very Jason Dy” kind of vibe.

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Moreover, his experience with clothing allowed Jason to fully express himself through the art of threads and fabrics, weaving the kind of life he has always dreamed of living. “Sayang naman if you go through life nang di mo man lang na-express ang sarili mo or kung di mo nagawa ‘yong mga gusto mong gawin just because of societal norms or thinking about what others have to say. What a waste! And it’s not the quality of life that I want to live.” Through this, he cuts through the standards, serving the unexpected, experimental, and things out of the box, manifesting in the forms of his expression.

“Parang lahat na ginagawa na ‘yong isang bagay, so I always push myself to think outside the box and take risks with whatever I do—in music and fashion.”
—Jason Dy

Weaving the Fabrics of Artistry

While a cloth formed through countless threads is already an art, weaving together fabrics is another. It adds layers, contrast, texture, and even stories to tell. In the same way, Jason Dy formed a beautiful tapestry of his artistic expressions as he weaves his love for music and enthusiasm for fashion. For him, both of these fabrics allowed his artistry to flourish even more and tell a story through his style and sound. “Naging magkatulong ‘yong music and fashion kasi parang automatic na magkasama na sile e. When I come up with a music, iniisiip ko na rin kung anong magandang outfit sa music video or ‘yong susuotin ko sa concert ko when I perform it live.”

This woven fabric of Jason’s artistry has been visible every time he steps out on the stage to give iconic and heartfelt performances while also catching our eyes with his stunning wardrobe ensembles. On the other hand, while he does not have a personal stylist other than himself, Jason gives credit to the designers he’s been working with to materialize the creative vision he has for fashion. And when I asked him to name some of the fashion designers, Jason was quick to answer. “Naku, marami! Thian Rodriguez, Rafa Worldwide, Maison Soriano, Jaggy Glarino, Ehrran Montoya, Kaye Morales, Proudrace, Franco Salvatorre,” he shared, while trying to remember all the names he got on the list.

Meanwhile, Jason Dy also has a heart for those who are braving the complexities of the creative industry—the aspiring designers who, for him, also bring to the table some fresh concepts—outside-the-box styles, complementing his palette. “I love working with up-and-coming designers—kapag nakakakita ako ng mga fashion students, ‘yong mga graduating collections nila, gustong-gusto ko ‘yon kasi bagong mata, bagong ideas!” And as he talked more about what’s up-and-coming, Jason Dy shared an interesting vision he has for himself in the fashion and clothing industry.

“I have always wanted to put out my own clothing line. Hopefully in the future, makapag-present ako ng collection, because I’ve always wanted to explore what a Jason Dy clothing line would look like.”
—Jason Dy

While he looks forward to presenting his collection that would showcase his true style, the creative force in Jason Dy continues to push him through the boundaries, both for music and fashion. He will be having a concert in June, which will surely exhibit his woven artistry of sound and style. “It’s very exciting for me kasi it’s a celebration of my tenth year in the industry, which is insane to think about kasi parang kailan lang nangyari ‘yong The Voice, tapos 10 years na agad! It felt so long and short at the same time,” Jason said when I asked how he was feeling about his upcoming concert. “Since it’s happening in June, it’s also gonna be my birthday concert!”

While the concepts are still on the works, his creativity seems so unstoppable, that he already started creating a vision for his wardrobe that would match the songs that he will be performing, which he mentioned are the pieces that people loved, plus some reworked versions. “The fashion’s gonna be exciting—isa rin talaga ‘yan sa mga nilu-look forward ko. I already started reaching out to the designers that I wanna work with on the concert. And I also wanna work with all-Filipino designers this time.”

Everything that Jason does in the present is a manifestation of the creative force uncontainable. He first learned the beauty of music, and now he takes us into the art of fashion. Jason Dy used the threads of inspiration from his childhood to weave the fabrics of his artistry—the sound of his fashion, cutting through the fibers of the conventional standards.