Girls in the middle
August 6, 2004 | 12:00am
Everyone needs a dose of vintage glamour. Michi Calica-Sotto’s new collection brings a breath of fresh air to Manila’s fashion landscape.
If your eyes are tired from all the slick styling, cut-to-the-navel-slashed-to-the-hip ensembles of modern divas – Michi offers alternatives. This collection echoes old-school glamour: a time when "It" girls didn’t have reality TV shows, when fashion was about style, not statements. Culling elements from the roaring Twenties, fabulous Forties, and graceful Fifties, Calica-Sotto draws on what she calls, "The femininity of each decade: tough and tender fabrics, touches of draping and rusching with patches of beadwork. It’s really about the glamour."
Michi collaborated with shoe designer Emi Jorge and jewelry designer Elena Bautista on a fashion concept that focuses on the female spirit. "The clothes came first, then I pitched the look and atmosphere all together. Emi and Elena seem to be entertained by anything I say for some reason," she says. These three talented designers went from exchanging notes to finally creating a full-blown photo shoot. Working closely over the last year, Michi, Emi, and Elena share the same aesthetic sensibilities when it comes to fashion.
The clothes glide over a woman’s curves with luxurious fabrics like sapphire blue tafetta and chiffon the color of grapefruit will make your heart race. Michi includes details such as chiffon layers, antique gold lace, draping, and rusching.
The shoes are flirty, fun, and definitely sexy. "Emi is a genius with shoes. I only have to say five key words from my forecast and she will be in sync with me," says Michi. Emi Jorge, owner and designer of Solea, makes shoes that elicit adoration. For this collection, she uses rich colors mixed with delicious details like feathers, jewels, and ribbons.
Elena Bautista’s classic jewelry is as "refined and demure as she is," Michi shares. A graduate of the Gemological Institute of America, Elena’s pieces are the equivalent of a delicate Annick Goutal perfume. "I have never seen jewelry as fine and as well thought of (as hers)," notes Michi.
The three know the secret to putting together a great outfit: first and foremost is confidence in what you’re wearing, second is adding the details that make the outfit complete (even the perfect party frock can be ruined by the wrong shoes.) Together they create a look that is distinctly feminine and unabashedly glam.
Michi’s own feminine intuition and ten years of experience in the fashion industry gives her special insight, "Knowing what women want has become second nature to me," she says. "We want to be pretty, sexy, wear flattering clothes, and, at times, make a fashion statement. The magic lies in how to marry all this together and keep the look modern and fresh each time."
This collaboration is based not only on aesthetic sympathies but also on Oprah-style sisterhood bonding. "We speak the same language and understand this balancing act. We’re not only designers but also wives and moms wanting to have it all! We believe that we’re living the dream, but also understand that there’s a lot of reality to it."
Shoes from Solea by Emi Jorge located at 2nd Floor, Lifestyle Section, Powerplant, Rockwell, tel. 896 1691.
Jewelry from Goldworks by Elena Bautista located at Ground Floor, The Podium, Ortigas, tel. 687 2621.
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