MANILA, Philippines - Whether by instinct or some kind of hive mentality, it looks as though everyone’s chucked out everything other than neutrals from their closet or inspiration board. At the Bayo fashion show, hosted by Johnson & Johnson to launch their new Body Care line at Encore earlier this week, the theme was soft pastels in blush, nude, beige and cream with hints of gray and peach.
Though the colors stayed strictly in neutral territory, embellishment was plentiful.
Models showed off skin in high-waist paperbag shorts, their hemlines abbreviated way above mid-thigh and cuffed. Swingy, cropped dresses in eyelet, off-the-shoulder blouses and daringly-cut sheer tops with ruffled necklines revealed tanned flesh. Silhouettes veered towards the feminine with peplum skirts, lace tanks with pleated bibs, bodice-shaping corsets and origami-wasted shorts cinched with a bow.
Strangely enough, almost the entire audience was attired in similar hues. A sea of girls in monochromatic shifts and summery ensembles looked effortlessly cool in taupe and cream. It was as though a casting agent from Calvin Klein in the ’90s had directed the entire gathering to dress alike. Meanwhile, I was garbed in one of my more colorful pieces excavated from the back of my closet. Later, someone informs me that the event invite had helpfully informed guests to come attired in soft neutrals.
Memo to self: To avoid sticking out like a sore — brightly-colored thumb — read the invite.