The Rainbow Connection

CEBU, Philippines - The Imperial Palace Hotel’s big launch one sunny day (and star-filled night) had all the makings of a big bash. Featured designer Wendell Quisido, despite having so little time to prepare, did not disappoint. He had a big pool splashing crowd cheering him on and a smart collection that was cohesive and well-made, enough to potentially encourage some of the out-of-towners to order from him.

The thirty something designer said his inspiration was an exhibition of paintings by French artist Paul Gauguin. To the uninitiated, Gauguin was known for his bold experimentation with coloring. Quisido’s hand-painted floral motifs on crepe and jersey dresses and the same design rendered in Swarovski crystals on micro-beaded evening resort dresses were cribbed from one of Gauguin’s works.

It wasn’t necessarily the embellishments that impressed, though. The lush, asymmetrical volumes of Quisido’s shift dresses had a clean, unfussy appeal. They were minimal yet still sexy, a tough combination to pull off, and with their easy breezy appeal—which he paired with colorific menswear—looked very positive and oh so right-now. The prolific designer whose predilection to young Hollywood glamor showed fit for the red carpet frocks—a teaser, maybe, of what he might push further next season. The next Versace? Could well be. This designer is definitely someone retailers should be paying more attention to.