When asked to do a resort/lounge collection, the first thing that came to designer Julius Tarog’s mind was: anything but maxi dresses.
“They’re predictable and don’t highlight a woman’s form,” says Tarog, who has dressed some of the country’s most well-known personalities.
As a result, his collection is a mix of wide-leg pants, mid-length dresses and long evening gowns that are fit for an afternoon on a yacht, a jaunt to the Mediterranean or perhaps a Cannes premiere.
“I was after something happy,” says Tarog of his design process.
Classic couture
The designer played around with fabrics like taffeta, stretch denim and tulle in rich colors such as black, gold, nude and magenta. Taking inspiration from the sea, Tarog’s classic silhouettes not only look like they could be worn on a trip to the Riviera, but look like they belong to old Hollywood movies as well.
“I want to highlight the woman’s curves, so I used silhouettes that are close to the bodice. I also used different lengths for the short dresses,” Tarog says.
Pieces like hipster wide-legged pants in satin peau is paired with a slim one-button tuxedo jacket in the same material with a white charmeuse bustier peeking out from underneath for contrast. The look may be masculine-inspired, but remains feminine and elegant. Think doe-eyed Marlene Dietrich in her classic photographs.
A surprisingly good combination is a ruffled sleeveless checkered top, which lends a casual edge to a pair of formal wide-legged white pants. “It’s something you’d wear on your way to the Caribbean,” Tarog says. It looks like something straight out of Luis Buñuel’s Brigitte Bardot film, That Obscure Object of Desire.
Bringing sexy back
Plaid charmeuse is likewise used, this time paired with black diamond gazar organdy and black stretch denim in a dress that is classically conservative in front, but playfully daring at the back. Perfect for a party in a penthouse suite or perhaps an afternoon on a yacht.
Tarog’s subtle aquatic inspiration is evident in the most formal and dramatic of his short dresses, his black diamond gazar organdy creation lined with nude taffeta and gold jaquard. “I wanted the sheer black over the nude to give the effect of rainwater on skin,” Tarog says. The dress lends a mysterious effect to its wearer, one in line with the kind of woman who is drawn to a Julius Tarog creation: someone who is independent, knows her own mind, and is comfortable with her body.
Red-carpet ready
Less daring but equally feminine is a scoop-neckline black-diamond gazar organdy top lined with nude taffeta. The sides of this dress have a curved magenta design for effect. The skirt is straight cut and knee length, using the same materials, but with line designs at the side. The dress looks like the ones worn by actresses in film noir cinema, but with a modern twist.
The pièce de résistance is a black serpentine gown, also made from the same materials. “This dress has a Mediterranean feel to it, so I imagine it could be worn to an event like the Cannes Film Festival,” says Tarog.
Mind games
Tarog knows what sexy is, and he has made it a point to celebrate it in his designs. “I always love highlighting a woman’s form,” the designer says. “That goes with all styles. No matter if you’re a size two or a size 10, you’ll still look sexy.”
And in the movie of her life, isn’t that all that any woman wants?
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For more information, contact Julius Tarog at 0917-5213104.