Amazing Ao

CEBU, Philippines – At the milestone-making gala Metrowear 100, designers, models and the chic audience who trooped to the Tent of The Manila Hotel can’t get over Edwin Ao’s electric blue jersey dress that model Jasmine Meierhofer wore with aplomb. Why is that? Edwin Ao decided to skip the hardcore frou-frou and kept things ultra-modern for his latest offering, a mix of tailoring—shrunken blazers and biker styles—and lounge-y, fluid layering pieces.

A pair of made-for-models drop-crotch jeans and trousers had the fashion demimonde cooing, as did the option to wear head-to-toe electric blue suit. And that was just the menswear. More slender than a reed, his choice of models (Angel Luzano and Jo Alburo) both donned draped fluid dresses that reminded one of Buck Rogers’ era lounge outfits for future chic. The mood here was softer than that of the oatmeal and woodbark jersey dresses he made for last season’s gala. This color-dipped inflected collection is reflective of his careful reconsideration of his distinctive brand of aesthetics and core clientele. “She’s the type of girl,” he quipped, “that you see arriving at a social gathering, and you say while watching her, ‘Damn, doesn’t she look no-nonsense.’ These clothes should help her achieve the desired effect.”

Bucking trends, he went all-out for modern glam, showing his knack for “smart” dressing that was executed with confidence and clarity. Edwin Ao’s latest guest collaboration—with the model Adam Jennie—resulted in an unexpectedly creative garment: the famed shrunken suit, the new white shirt and the far from conventional charcoal suit. Soon, Edwin Ao together with most recognizable designers will mount a fundraiser for Adam Jennie’s Christian Center for Special Children Inc. Looks like this featured forward thinking designer is thinking big all around.

Bravissimo!