Long before there were little bazaars jammed with quirky accessories-laden booths and designer stalls, there was The Ramp at Crossings Department Store. The brainchild of National Book Store scion Xandra Ramos-Padilla, it launched in October 2005 at Shangri-La Plaza Mall and quickly established itself as a hub for local fashion.
Known for stocking up-and-coming designers, along with small Asian labels, The Ramp garnered raves from consumers weary of cheaply-made, mass-produced frocks that lined every street vendor’s booth from here to Greenhills. “The people who shop here are a varied bunch,” says general manager Xandra Ramos-Padilla, “from teenagers tugging their moms along to hunt for a prom dress to professionals who want to add a fashion element to their work wardrobe.”
Ramos-Padilla originally partnered with Ritchie Ortega, who designs the much-vaunted United Pop line, and Puey Quinones, who created a retail label dubbed Vado specifically for the store. “They quickly snowballed into a stable of creative young designers,” she adds with an air of satisfaction. At the moment, The Ramp’s roster of designer labels number more than 20 (see Page M-2 for a closer look at some of the designers on board). Bangkok label FlyNow, Singaporean export Abyzz and Indonesian line YSML are some of the regional names worth exploring. “These are all affordable brands with quite a following in their own country,” she explains.
Established as a place for “independent, talented, entrepreneurial” clothesmakers, according to Ramos-Padilla, The Ramp prides itself on securing more than castoffs from a runway show, a practice that has made shopping for local designer goods a much calmer experience. (Running posthaste backstage after a show only to find people fighting over a size zero dress still bathed in the model’s sweat is hardly what one could call a retail incentive.) Ramos-Padilla took notice and required all members of the design team to create a cohesive collection in order to merit a space on The Ramp real estate.
“They build real retail collections,” she emphasizes, “with sizes, a variety of styles and a range of apparel — like pants, tops and dresses.” Seasons also determine the width and breadth of every label, as each brand is required to come up with collections dedicated to the holidays, summer and rainy seasons.
The Ramp’s big boss understands that consistency, in terms of new releases, and more options for shop-weary patrons translate to ringing sales.
That formula’s proven successful, seeing as The Ramp has now grown into a triumvirate, thanks to the opening of the TriNoma branch in May of this year and the recent launch of the latest installment in Glorietta 4 (across Cibo, above Zara) this past weekend.
The Glorietta branch distinguishes itself, thanks to Ramos-Padilla’s fresh addition to The Ramp, with a “fashion lab” replete with neophyte labels that the store’s staff unearthed in their regular rounds of talent searching. “We’re always looking for new, worthy collaborators here,” she says.
Don We Now Our Gay Apparel
After a comprehensive tour of the store’s stocks — no mean feat as it’s deluged with look-at-me labels that beg for closer inspection — we’ve compiled a few holiday looks that’ll keep you swinging well into the New Year.
Jewel-toned frocks in svelte figure-friendly shapes made the grade. Slinky numbers prove that goddess figures (like those hour-glass contours that made Marilyn and Sophia household names) have never been out of style.
A range of shifts, sheaths and cinched, full-skirted frocks provide a wealth of options for party fixtures. Don the sheath with a pair of vintage-inspired Mary Jane platforms as a Dita Von Teese tribute or go casual with a pair of tights and metallic flats.
All of these dresses cover up a multitude of sins (induced, no doubt, by the general bacchanalia of holiday festivities), including a paunch (go, full skirt), wide hips (hello, wrap dress) and flabby arms (meet my friend, layering), which makes them perfect transitioning pieces.
Work them into your wardrobe come January, only this time paired with tailored blazers and practical pumps, and you’ll find that these fail-safe frocks instantly brighten up an ensemble.
And at the rates The Ramp is charging — Ramos-Padilla pegs the price average between P1,000 to P2,000 — adding to your closet won’t detract from your bank account.
“It’s not a huge investment to update your look,” Ramos-Padilla says. “Looking good doesn’t always come with a big price tag.”
* * *
The Ramp is located at Glorietta 4, The Podium, Crossings Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Crossings TriNoma, and Crossings Quezon Ave. For more info, visit www.crossings.com.ph.