Miss Shapes

Rajo Laurel showed 48 pieces from his “Shapes” collection at the third series of the Fashion Watch Quartet yesterday.

Whilst guests were enjoying high tea and bibingka, models paraded through the lobby of the Shangri-La Hotel, dressed in dazzling drapes, muted jewel tones and shimmery harem pants.

Interestingly, the “shapes” concept gave the clothes a fluid and unstructured form that took on new dimensions  with each movement of the wearer.

The strictness and limitations of the design — using only three flat patterns, namely the circle, the square and the rectangle — allowed for an experimental reaction between the simple geometry of the shapes and the complex one of the body, resulting in something almost organic.

The way the material gathered and collected around the body, or clung to it, was sexy yet amenable (and forgiving!) to different body types.

The dresses were seriously elegant and thoroughly modern, meant for the woman who would never let an outfit overpower her. Embellishment was kept to a minimum — the folds spoke for themselves.