Modern Maud

In the Robert Altman-directed film Prêt-à-Porter, a take on the exclusive world of runway fashion, a beleaguered novice reporter, played by Kim Basinger, takes on the formidable job of covering the Paris collections. Notoriously high-maintenance (editors and celebs have been known to change their attire between shows), rigorous (shows often overlap so people are forced to rush between locations) and fame-centric (the paparazzi harangue anyone with a D-list status and up, while the chicly anonymous are elbowed aside), fashion week is that point in time when practicality takes a backseat to theatrics.

The film plays on the parallels between the ridiculously eccentric personalities that fill up front rows and litter the backstage and the equally ridiculous fashions paraded on runways.

Yet the title of prêt-a-porter refers to ready-to-wear collections, not the often over-hyped couture sets where the designers are given license to run free with their imagination – and parent company’s budget.

It’s transforming the designer’s vision and philosophy into an aesthetic distinguishable from other brands that speaks to a consumer that’s most difficult. Perhaps when readers flip through a magazine, wondering why a simple shift dress is so expensive, they’ll understand that the theatrics between a show and an actual piece of clothing often have nothing to do with each other.

It’s the fit, the material, the fall of the garment that speaks louder than a price tag. It’s the full effect that makes people look up and ask, "Who made that?" instead of offering a smile and a one-worded question like, "Greenhills?"

Inexpensive clothes are everyone’s secret pleasure but cheap-looking frocks are no one’s.

Perhaps that is the distinction designer Mitzi Quilendrino has put into her diffusion line, a recent project she unveiled at her new store, dubbed Maud, at the find-filled Independent Lifestyle section of Power Plant Mall at Rockwell.

"My one-of-a-kind pieces, which carry the Mitzi Q. label, are mainly manufactured for magazine layouts or fashion shows and not for commercial purposes, so these tend to be more experimental and are priced at a premium. Maud is my first legitimate prêt-a-porter line which can be characterized as urbanized nostalgic chic," explains Mitzi. "Both lines, however, are classic, feminine, logical, distinctive, quietly commanding, never vulgar and reasonably-priced.

The recently-wed designer decided to open her own store after testing the waters over at Fibre, the boutique on Jupiter Street featuring works by the Young Designers Guild. "The idea of going into RTW was primarily sparked more than a year ago when a retailing giant offered YDG designers department store space for individualized designer lines."

"A good friend of mine and I started a small-scale off-the-rack line called Yellow Muse, which specializes in urbanized Filipiniana." That was Mitzi’s start. After learning the rudiments of ready-to-wear (managing operations and production were a big part of the learning process), the duo decided to follow that with opening their own primary retail space.

"The second quarter of the year ushered in some great news," Mitzi says. "Five of our colleagues were able to procure retail space at the Power Plant Mall." Thanks to a growing interest in locally-manufactured and designed lines, Mitzi felt the market was primed for another boutique with a different perspective.

"So far, I’ve noticed that – due to the media and its advocacy of local talents – there exists a greater awareness of and appreciation for Filipino fashion designers," she says. "This means that demand is growing." A month after Mitzi signed the lease, Maud opened its doors to the public.

Project Runway

Though Mitzi’s last collection for Philippine Fashion Week was a study in taupe – a modern version of Filipiniana fabric cut in contemporary styles like a backless sheath or princess-cut dress in a subdued cream palette – the current garments lining Maud’s racks are anything but.

Richly-embroidered suede cropped jackets with art nouveau embroidery feel luxurious against skin. Halter tops with layered collars are a standout statement against an all-black ensemble. There are balloon skirts in plum satin, burgundy capri pants in brocade and long dresses with ruched pleating detail by the neckline and a line of pearl and diamante accents to draw the eyes to the elegant display of collarbone. The only thing missing, it seems, is an eccentric chapeau, a pair of ridiculously expensive, sky-high, ankle-crippling shoes and a ticket to some exceedingly luxurious fashion capital.

Stepping into Maud is like that moment in Pretty Woman when Julia Roberts finally meets a nice saleswoman, thanks to the assistance of the kindly hotel concierge played by Hector Elizondo. Surrounded by dresses she knows will bring out her inner princess – the antitheses of her gum-chomping, orange postiche-wearing hooker character – she finally understands that thigh-high boots and an oversized men’s T-shirt are not the way to a man or – a Prada-attired – woman’s heart. Afterwards, fully decked out in a gorgeous towering column of plum, she steps onto the winding staircase of an opera house on the arm of a dashingly handsome man. Of course, he’d be gay. No straight man would willingly go to the opera – or appreciate your outfit the way it deserves to be worshipped.

That, at least, is the concept behind Maud. Not the hooker-turned-investment banker’s wife but the idea of retail store as a comfortable and homey space.

"The store is Maud’s boudoir," adds Mitzi. "Entering it is like walking into her closet. Soon, the whole gamut of her accessories and trinkets will adorn the space as well." Designed by Mitzi, the space is an ode to old world glamour with gold moldings, tapestry carpets, embellished furniture, a chandelier and richly-textured wallpaper.

"The main theme is aristocratic French which accounts for the wall moldings and upholstered panels as the main decorative elements. But since Maud is the antithesis of frou-frou, we downplayed the theme by using sleek and sophisticated art nouveau colors such as sesame and matte gold."

"The feel of the store is intimate, and our staff is well-trained and very helpful. Every time you walk in, the experience is that of walking into your own boudoir, knowing this is your stopover sanctum, browsing leisurely while help is on standby and emerging confidently sated with more artillery for your fashion needs."

Who is Maud exactly?

"The Maud woman is someone who is confident, who knows what she wants," she states. "She is not someone who follows the pack. Whatever her job, she has a flair for fashion and a sense of style that is not limited to clothes. She is elegant, chic, unassuming, refined."

Mitzi chose the name Maud because she liked the combination of pretty sophistication and unpretentiousness the name evoked. "I looked it up on the Internet and L’ Officiel des Prenoms said the name had these characteristics: sociability, creativity, optimism and communication. We chose it for the store because it personifies the store concept, our merchandise and our target market. And because it is monosyllabic and simple, it is easy to recall."

There is an easiness to the label and their hypothetical muse. Maud, if she existed – which she does, in almost all her clients, Mitzi argues – she’d be someone unafraid to test the waters with dramatic garments, but required not only the fanfare that comes with such pretty pieces but also an inherent practicality. Like the English duchess who stomps around her three-hectare Tudor mansion in scuffed Hessians, Burberry riding breeches and a cheap Hanes T-shirt, Maud believes fashion is most chic when it is functional.

In that same spirit, Mitzi rolled out a series of contemporary pieces ideal for the working woman’s wardrobe. Jersey wrap dresses and pullovers, lantern cut-out blouses, draped skirts that double as a long top, and satin blouses with velvet bows all speak of the richly-inspired imagination of its designer yet it’s tempered by an even approach to wearable design.

"These are versatile, standout pieces that are of-the-moment but not at all trendy," explains Mitzi. "We used a lot of cotton and jersey as well as chiffon, while draping, ruching, cutwork and embroidery played a major role in the collection. We used a mixture of rich colors like Prussian blue, cranberry, deep plum and chic neutrals like dessert rose, olive, camel and almond and the perennial black and white."

No doubt, this designer’s approach to prêt-a-porter fashion will be met with resounding applause.

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Maud is located at Independent Lifestyles at Power Plant Mall, Rockwell. For inquiries, call 0917-8996437.