Use your allusion
MANILA, Philippines - Group shows at Fashion Week are always hit or miss. The Premier Collection B paraded a lot of numbers we think we’ve seen before, at least on style.com. But, what the heck, success in the fashion industry doesn’t always hinge on originality but knowing what your customers want. The surprises come when some maverick designer, or someone who’s been steadily building their oeuvre through the years, assaults your sartorial senses out of complacency with a different spin on something familiar. Once in a while a gem will come along, and we can all breathe a sigh of relief — fashion can still save the world.
Czarina Villa
There were some cute Marc Jacob-y pieces with polka dots, pretty flapper dresses with wings and wispy layers, and jackets that experimented with proportion. The formal wear however was burdened with huge rosettes, excessive shirring or layers of ruffles and seemed to be out of touch with the the zeitgeist of this fashion season, where less is more.
Eric Delos Santos
Several big trends formed the basis of this collection: fringe, slashing, body con, and color blocking. His Leger-meets-Alexander Wang body con/slasher dresses indeed oozed sex appeal and require great confidence to carry them off. He had some metallic numbers in more forgiving shapes, and several slouchy pieces that looked very now. The fringe, which was actually knotted pieces of material, seemed messy and unnecessary, and there were instances when all the looks were put together, to unfortunate results. Still, this collection had a very hip, urban vibe, and Delos Santos will soon be, if he is not already, the go-to designer for the party set.
Mich Dulce
Tailoring doesn’t get more flawless than this, and her sculpted lantern skirt looked architecture-grade. Vivienne Westwood-loving with a dash of Dita von Teese, Dulce’s dresses were serious pieces of construction softened with folds and flaps and bustly skirts, perfect for pseudo-corporate women in power, like fashion magazine editors. Her headpieces, not to be ignored, are conversation starters on their own. For long-time fans, fear not, she hasn’t completely killed off her “Japanese street wear” aesthetic of old — it was resurfaced, albeit in a subdued and romantic way, in her printed T-shirt dresses with voluminous drapes, layers and graphic prints.
John Paras
His collection was the crowd favorite. Possibly because it was Chanelesque with its tweed checked tailored suits, reminding us of a time when fashion was sophisticated and innocently elegant. Swing coats and cropped blazers with embellishments looked lovely and cozy (wearable is another question) and even the printed dresses were classic and demure without being boring. The blinged-up conservatism made me think of Joan Holloway, the femme fatale secretary in Mad Men, and Blair Waldorf, the femme fatale high schooler in Gossip Girl, two of my favorite shows.
Pia Gladys Perey
While there were jumpsuits and other casual pieces, her collection was predominantly defined by draped jersey, which admittedly looks fabulous when done right. Women will go for these styles because they are classic, easy to wear, and yeah, they make them look like goddesses. From a fashion point of view however, it’s like season four of Project Runway when the undeniably talented Rami Kashou kept being pitted against Christian Siriano but ultimately lost to him, because he was too attached to his draping and refused to move out of his comfort zone, which was like, so five years ago.
Tina Daniac
Daniac plays with contrasts and sketchy art in her monochromatic collection of uber-short dresses. Getting Sharpie warriors Weewilldoodle to do their sprawling mural art thing on a canvas of white was a stroke of Stephen Sprouse brilliance. Daniac is also fond of oversized flourishes like big black rosettes and a frenzy of bows, but her take on it was cute and true to the designer’s irreverent style, and so a super sparkly lamé gown accessorized with an acrylic collar doesn’t seem silly, but instead makes you smile.
