Len Nepomuceno raises hemlines and softens shapes for summer

MANILA, Philippines - It seems that for designer Len Nepomuceno, when temperatures go up, so do hemlines. Her models flitted out in dress after dress, with nothing falling below the knee and this it seemed was the only cohesive part of her collection. Colors were non-colors, with a deluge of black, which gave one images of a rather somber summer than a festive one. Fabrics also seemed a bit heavy, restricting movement although it did work better for her more tailored dresses such as a black number that looked like a mix of a shift and a wrap dress and was probably the most figure-flattering in the collection.

The rest of the collection was mostly bubbletype skirts, or A-line creations that could easily be thrown on when in a pinch for easy breezy dressing. An interesting piece was a black tank dress that looked like an apron on top and was accented by sheer fabric and a satin skirt. There were several ensembles that did have pretty details and would probably have worked better as separates rather than as a whole. “Sexy” was certainly on the designer’s mind with her skin-showing sheer fabrics, shoulder baring necklines and thigh-high skirts yet, she managed to retain a femininity in her designs that echoed a whimsical, girlish appeal. Perhaps Nepomuceno’s collection represented a summer coming-of-age.

* * *

Fashion Watch shows are presented every Thursday at the Makati Shangri-La lobby. The show on Oct. 24 will feature the collections of Lulu Tan-Gan and Ito Curata. For reservations, call 840-0884.

Fashion Watch is presented by The Philippine STAR, Olay, Makati Shangri-la Hotel, Metro Pacific Investments, Preview, StyleBible, and StarWorld.