Philippine Fashion Week Review: Sleek silhouettes and glamour gods
MANILA, Philippines - Last Sunday saw the last day of Philippine Fashion Week, ending eight nights and seven days of designer and retail shows. Aiming to propel the country toward greater visibility in global fashion, PFW has been staged by Runway Productions, the brainchild of siblings and executive producers Audie and Joey Espino, for the past 13 years. Now held regularly at the SMX Convention Center, it provides a glimpse of the country’s emerging talent. This year, it featured a retail space for the first time, to give visitors access to buy the pieces. For show attendees, previewing designers’ latest inspirations was one thing; but witnessing a successful merging of style and function was another. One of the “heavyweight” shows of the week was held on closing day, featuring designers Jerome Salaya Ang, Noel Crisostomo, and Sassa Jimenez.
Noel Crisostomo
The standout collection of the show belonged to Noel Crisostomo, who presented well-thought-out designs of relaxed silhouettes accentuated with clean tailoring and asymmetric draping. Taking inspiration from Cubism art of the early 20th century, the Olympics of 2012 and the ‘80s creations of Austrian designer Helmut Lang, the pieces possessed a super sleek yet sporty feel. “Very uncomplicated and easy to wear,” says Crisostomo, and made to transition well from day to night. The 45-piece collection contained boyfriend jackets, clean-lined graphic tops, scuba-inspired vests and dresses, and even some graphic-cut one-piece swimsuits. Crisostomo’s play on athletic wear used refined fabrics for track pants and warm-up suits in fluid leather-lined chiffon. He showed voluminous gowns and layered tank tops from a range of fabrics like light cotton, gauze silk organdy, tulle, and jersey. Metallic lace in acid yellow and aquamarine merged with sporty black basics in midnight, black, and metallic silver, completing a refined and wearable collection.
Jerome Salaya Ang: Rock and roll Jerome Salaya Ang
The show opened with an adrenalin-pumping tribal band for Jerome Salaya Ang. The pulsing drumbeats kept energy levels up throughout the show, beginning with Teresa Herrera walking onto the runway in a barely-there bustier over silver sequined skinny pants. Ang’s slightly undone, bold pieces were in power shades of red, gold, silver, and black, with a smattering of pieces in aqua and fuchsia. His collection entitled “Gods We’ve Known Before Us,” was inspired by prehistoric times “when men would worship unseen gods.” Ang said he was expressing a sense of the mystery and flair of a dark era of pagan culture, his models channeling a fierce, primal vibe with messy bouffants and oversized feather earrings and necklaces. Ladylike silhouettes featured sharp shoulders and skirts cut to the knee or right below it, and for evening, glam mini dresses peeking under longer swathes of draped fabric appropriate for today’s gods, rockstars and glamazons.
Sassa Jimenez
Belles of the ball: Sassa Jimenez The seemingly tireless Sassa Jimenez was in a whimsical mood, presenting “Circus Belles,” a self-confessed fantastical concept of an all-female circus, which the designer said came to her in a dream. The playful repertoire featured frilly, feminine separates and long gowns with sculpted bodices, including one with a double bubble skirt prompting the audience to wonder if, in real life, you could remain standing all night to wear it. Sheer fabric in stripes and polka dots permeated the collection, and models donned little black gloves to underscore the ladylike looks. The simpler black mini dresses could work as fun party frocks for girls who, um, attend soirées that call for frilly pieces, as were her dramatic floor-length creations which turned out to be showstoppers.
