Top French men’s store Celio opens at Greenbelt 3

Celio, the leading French men’s wear label, opened its Philippine franchise store with back-to-back fashion shows at its branches in Makati and Ortigas.

The fashion shows, held at Greenbelt 3 and The Podium, was a veritable display of the definitive French style.

Celio, which specializes in sportswear and citywear, proved to all and sundry why it is the no. 1 men’s line in Europe. The colors and designs are geared towards teenage boys and young and older men, with the brand playing on the essential principles of comfort and style. Each shirt and pair of pants is trendy and hip yet classy. The clothes all exemplify a lifestyle that speaks of simple fun and sophistication.

The show, as helmed by fashion director Ariel Lozada, came in five parts. The first, with its black ensembles, was a throwback to the beatnik scene in the Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire film Funny Face. The second part of the show showcased a predominantly gingham collection.

For the third, it was "Surf’s up, dudes!" As inspired by Etienne, the French guy with the babelicious girlfriend Francoise in Fanny Boyle’s The Beach, the whole collection was a testament to the freewheeling lifestyle of surfers from here to Venice Beach.

The fourth part was very minimal, inspired by the "water drops on burning rocks."

The last segment focused on city wear and harked back to the good ol’ days of the French New Wave cinema as envisioned by director Jean Luc Godard in such films as Bonjour Tristesse and Breathless.

Taking a very Celio romp on the ramp were some of the country’s most recognizable faces in the male modeling scene led by Richard Gomez, Robby Mananquil, Wendell Ramos, Antonio Aquitaña and Jon Hall.