Treff art series 1: Fab Four Couture

CEBU, Philippines - For its debut this season, Treff Art Series (an A - List production) featured four trusted names in the style arena which showed a far-from-frou-frou yet sophisticated 24-piece collection that eschewed haute couture par excellence. Protacio opened the show that found him looking back in time, in particular to the 60s, which he admires because "they weren't afraid to experiment." You can't blame a designer like Protacio for wanting to do the same, and the result was a tightly focused presentation with peacoat-like silhouette for men and draped and swingy dresses for the ladies.

There were some charming jersey dresses delicately embroidered with lace and passementerie motif, a nod to the trompe l'oeil with draping that nailed 30s glamour from chic Arcy Gayatin, all these with the crucial adjustments that rendered them modern. What with the rope embroidery on the dresses, and the floral lace trim edging the hem, which showed sensitivity and skill.

Intimate shows like this one in Treff are a great showcase for designers and artists, and with the debut showed an abundance of inspirations. Case in point, after the two designers' chic nostalgia was Edwin Ao's forward thinking juxtapose collection that featured inverted sleeves as dress straps and exposed zippers. Still, Ao's ingenuity was evident in dresses that looked like two-piece tops and skirts, and his attention to detail has never waned since he started not so long ago.

Doing the finale was Jun Escario, who showed models in disciplined tailoring vis-à-vis ultra sexy jersey dresses that appeared molded on the body with hints of transparency. Particularly in this latest offering, the mix-and-match, masculine-feminine sensibility Escario is cultivating appears to be his and his alone. (FREEMAN)