Han Ong on Nora Aunor and Authentication

"The story revolves around a dress that may be a Balenciaga, of course. But, more important, it revolves around a mother and a daughter and their relationship. The mother is a Filipina former model, who moved to New York-partly to escape the judgment of her parents in Manila-and raised her daughter (with the help of her sister) as a single woman."

"I suppose you could say that this is a kind of "royalty-in-exile" story-a genre I have great interest in. In this instance, the "royalty" is the mother. She has been "exiled" from the glamorous precincts of her beauty and youth, and currently lives with her retinue: a sympathetic elder sister and a daughter whom she treats as a co-conspirator in her fantasies and fabrications."

"Contra the writing-workshop wisdom, you don't need conflict in a story. Maybe a "wrinkle," a few minor complications, but no more. All you really need for a satisfying short story is a zestful spirit and nimbleness of language. And how much more zestful can you get than a character who puts on a Balenciaga dress to sit at her writing desk?"

Fashion knowledge derived from studying Diana Vreeland and fashion history provided the foundation for crafting a narrative set in the world of models and designers. The central story revolves around a dress potentially designed by Balenciaga, but more fundamentally explores the relationship between a Filipina former model who moved to New York to escape parental judgment and her daughter, whom she raised as a single mother with her sister's support. This scenario functions as a "royalty-in-exile" narrative where the mother, exiled from her glamorous youth, lives with her sister and daughter in a state of qualified happiness rather than despair. Drawing from V.S. Pritchett's approach to storytelling, the narrative prioritizes zestful spirit and linguistic nimbleness over conventional conflict, creating satisfaction through character vitality and evocative imagery.

Read at The New Yorker