Summer in shades of pink and blue

It’s a Pink and Blue Soda summer!

The season of the sun shines with cool colors and comfy cuts that suit today’s hip and happening teen crowd. The trendy label’s summer 2003 collection was unveiled in a fun and fab show held at the Glorietta Activity Center in Makati a couple of weeks ago, which was part of the mall’s annual Fashion Week. It will be shown on Studio 23 on May 14 (10:30 to 12 MN) as a television fashion special and on May 18, 8 to 9:30 p.m. at the Lifestyle Network.

Leading a bevy of bodacious and buff models were Pink and Blue Soda’s pitch persons and TV stars Audrey Tan and Rafael Rossell IV. Audrey and Rafael had a blast sashaying the ramp, wearing the latest Soda apparel and grooving to the beat of the music provided by Nina and Essences band. (Rafael even performed two songs Smooth and When You Say Nothing at All – to the delight of the SRO crowd.)

"I love it," enthuses Audrey, who’s also a veejay for Studio 23 and an incoming senior Ateneo student, about the summer collection. She’s a bona fide sun worshipper, she attests, "I just love summer. Unlike other people who think summer is too hot, I just love this time of the year."

And Pink Soda, Audrey asserts, offer clothes that are just perfect for these sweltering days and humid nights. "The fabrics Pink Soda uses are very light," Audrey points out. "And the colors are very fresh."

Various shades of blue (from turquoise to indigo) and green (from light to fatigue), sand, camel, and brown dominate the scene. Pink Soda’s summer look is all about fun and fancy frills, embellished with vibrant blooms, sassy stripes, and enzyme was jeans. The Pink Soda summer lineup also boasts of dainty dresses made from light and comfy materials that let your body breathe in the heat of the season. De-lovely dresses with snazzy slits are paired with short shorts (in white and orange) or with sleek slacks for that effortless transition from beachside frolic to serious dinner date. It’s all in the mixing and matching and the addition of femme details like Hollywood glamour scarves, Avril Lavigne neckties or Chicago fishnet bandannas. Instead, if there is one word to describe the Pink Soda Line, it’s "versatile."

"You can wear it everywhere," Audrey proffers. Rafael agrees with Audrey wholeheartedly. He explains that Blue Soda’s summer collection is "fashionable and comfortable." "It looks great," Rafael gushes. "It’s stylish and exudes confidence. And you can wear it just about anywhere and chill!"

The Blue Soda summer collection is all about "breaking rules." It’s an "anything goes" look that includes such myriad styles as caftan-inspired tops, linen shirts, canvas jeans, and cropped cargo pants. Prevailing colors are khaki and fatigue. The New Blue Collection, on the other hand, brims with raw masculine appeal. Sexy, arm-baring shirts and hand-painted cotton poplin shirts are paired with ancient denims.

The Orange Collection features the season’s hottest color and proves Blue Soda’s versatility. Yup, Blue Soda is also about other shades and dares to make orange macho and manly. Orange and khaki are put to good use in washed jerseys, low-slung canvas denims, and textured linen shirts.

These are hard-working clothes that can go from day to night and still look dashing and debonair. "I wore this blue-striped polo shirt in the show and brought it home with me," Rafael relates. "And I realized that the shirt can go well with both jeans and slacks. I can wear the shirt with just jeans on gimik nights. And for more formal occasions like meeting and dates, I can pair it with slacks.

Rafael needs clothes that work just as hard as he does. The ABS-CBN talent who made waves as Oliver in Tabing Ilog and Tiborce in Kay Tagal Kitang Hinintay, is one of the most sought young actors in showtown. He oftentimes finds himself juggling tapings and production meetings on the same day. That is precisely what he likes about Blue Soda’s clothes. "They can blend in any setting."

Which can best describe the Blue Soda Boy, in fact. "He fits the clothes and it fits his personality. He likes to relax and to look good in the clothes that he wears. It’s comfortable but it still looks stylish."

For her part, Audrey defines the Pink Soda Girl in similar terms. "She is someone youthful and active. She has a lot of things going for her and is not afraid to go after her dreams."

Chin-Chin Bona La Rossa, senior vice-president of the 14-year-old label, concurs and stresses that Pink and Blue Soda is very youthful and mainly caters to 15 to 20s age group. "It’s really different," Chin-Chin beams. "It really stands out from the pack."

The edge of Pink and Blue Soda, compared to other youth-oriented labels, is that it exudes sexiness. "We have plain shirts, but the cut is very shapely." Chin-Chin chimes in. If Pink Soda flatters the feminine form, Blue Soda is overtly and unabashedly masculine. It’s not just a plain shirt, there’s an extra oomph factor. As exemplified by the Fashion Week show (which presented 80 to 100 sets), Pink and Blue Soda will still go places.

Today Pink and Blue Soda have over 60 concessionaires and 35 free-standing stores all over the country – from as far north as Baguio City to as far south as Davao City.