Jane De Leon has finally taken flight as Darna, and it's been a thrilling experience watching her glide through the skies of Nueva Esperanza. On every episode of the ABS-CBN series, we witness her transformation from mortal to superheroine, and it's a sequence we, quite frankly, never get sick of: After she swallows the mystical white stone and yells out her alter-ego's name, Narda sheds her relief operations worker uniform and dons a red and gold ensemble that's become as iconic as the Mars Ravelo chronicle itself.
One can assume that crafting a 2022 version of the costume must have come with its own set of challenges. For this contemporary take on the fantastical epic, designer Christian Mark Rodil took on the task of dressing Jane in the garment that will, undoubtedly, become a career-defining project of hers. In an exclusive interview with Preview, Mark lets us in on what went into making the super-suit, and how he made it to be distinctly Jane De Leon's.
Christian Mark Rodil Talks About Creating Jane De Leon's Darna Costume
Back in February 2021, the designer got the brief to create costumes for some of the villains in the TV show. After the network reviewed his impressive portfolio (Remember when Nadine Lustre dressed as Tekken's Josie Rizal? Yup, Mark was responsible for that, too!), he was assigned to come up with a prototype design for the main character herself. He says that he was "happy, flattered, and excited" that he was even considered to put together the iconic look.
The red and gold ensemble was an in-depth collaboration between Mark, shoe company NEREKU, and the Ravelo family themselves. Even Jane took part in the process, since the outfit had to not only look superhero-worthy, but also had to be comfortable and practical to an extent, since she would be wearing it in physically demanding fight scenes.
Durable and light materials like EVA rubber sheets, fiber glass resin, and leather had to be worked together to actualize the final costume. Reviewing the former iterations of the costume was also an integral part in coming up with the final design. The designer says that he had to take into consideration Darna's looks in the past in order to come up with something that paid homage to them but, at the same time, gave off a "modern and futuristic" vibe.
One element that makes it unique is the armor on Jane's hip. "Though it's an additional piece to the traditional look, we [wanted it to be] not too revealing since it's [meant to be] a [refreshing and more] modern look," Mark states.
He also reveals that they had to go through five different prototypes until they arrived at the official look. The entire process, more or less, took seven to eight months to complete. In Mark's words, it was a "rollercoaster ride" of an experience as a costume-maker, but seeing his work on Jane every night on primetime TV has him feeling nothing but proud and flattered.
Catch a sight of Darna's costume every weeknight on The Kapamilya Channel, A2Z, TV5, and on TFC.
Preview is now on Quento! Click here to download the app for iOS and Android and enjoy more articles and videos from Preview and your favorite websites!
Hey, Preview readers! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Tiktok, and Twitter to stay up to speed on all things trendy and creative. We’ll curate the most stylish feed for you!
