SheerandShine

Breathing a collective sigh of relief that the White House went to Barrack Obama, the fashion demimonde wasn’t ready to give up talks of politics after the dust has settled. Fresh from his two notable shows at the Atrium of The Northwing in SM City Cebu and the grand ballroom of the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel, designer Cary Santiago boldly quipped, “I want to dress up Michelle Obama! Watching her looking like a black widow spider in a red and black Narcisso Rodriguez dress was heart wrenching!” And yes, she has icon potential.

Shining anew with a bright collection of sheer dresses, Cary Santiago’s highly anticipated collection didn’t disappoint. At the spectacular presentation for the delegates of the World Tourism Organization, the Atrium rocked with sheer modernity and history (it was inspired from the Philippines’ Hindu Malay roots) as his colorific hues, in bolts and volumes of dope dyed chiffon and frosted organza, swirled along the satellite stages and interconnected runways amidst the oohs and aahs from the already exhilarated audience.

Like a phoenix rising, exclusive and elusive designer Anthony Romoff baffled everyone with his supposed Orientalia inspired collection of architectural knee grazing dresses in blush. As it turns out, the fabric was pure silk and was of course manufactured in China, thus the subtle connection. His brazen styling of smudged-eyed mannequins with pouf-ed coiffure was also derived from late Ming Dynasty coifs of the ladies in waiting.