Philippine Fashion Week Review: Modern, wearable, but not exactly RTW

MANILA, Philippines - Coming into the ready-to-wear collection, one would naturally expect, as the name suggests, the sort of retail-oriented clothing you’d see at a store. A dictionary search confirms that the term RTW is “clothes for the general market and sold through stores rather than made to order for an individual customer.” Twelve designers presented their interpretations of this theme, ironically available only upon order. But with a theme devoid of party dresses, and focused on wearable pieces for day to night, we sighted some refreshing new options for a summer wardrobe. Here are the top seven collections from last Sunday’s show.

Nixon Marquez showed a clean palette of white, cream and khaki separates that managed to be functional but still sexy for daywear. One of Preview magazine’s Ten Designers to Watch in 2010, he opened with a short-sleeved sheer T-shirt worn with easy low-waisted white pants, with cutouts at the knees for good measure. He continued with a sophisticated and relaxed silhouette with fluid khaki trousers, airy vests, with tailored details and a dash of ghetto gold lining, all in soft structures and easy draping. Ziggy Savella showcased a menswear-dominated collection in a subdued palette of sea foam and gray. Military-inspired cotton and gauzy tops, loose drawstring pants with roomy pockets, were updated with contrast piping and edgy patent straps. Mike Lavarez stood out with his chosen dark palette, with an urban tribal feel in grays and blacks. Separates were covetable such as drapey cotton T-shirts, leather shorts, and gray tie-dyed leggings. He also gave us interesting pairings such as a lightweight leather vest or a slouchy T-shirt worn over a sheer billowy skirt and printed spandex tights. Emi Alexander Englis showed a fluid and long silhouette, mostly slinky jersey cover-ups in tan and turquoise, that could be easy to pack for beach trips or go-to pieces for lazy days. Jian Lasala had in mind an effortlessly sexy summer with body-skimming short jersey dresses in sorbet colors. Louis Claparols delighted with his playful collection of feminine, subtly beaded embellished tunics and blouses, layered imaginatively over leotard and one-piece halter style swimsuits in vibrant hues. It’s never a summer show without swimwear, and for this summer Ricky Abad showed nude-hued swimwear in snakeskin prints for men and women in chocolate brown and salmon, a range of sleek and sexy bikinis and one piece suits for poolside posing or lounging by the beach.