Philippine Fashion Week Review : ‘Game of Thrones’ references in a sea of color and costume

MANILA, Philippines - Permutations of color combinations signaled the impending arrival of spring/summer ‘13 at the Sony show, though a few dark horses also intrigued on the runway.

DayGlo stripes and linear prints awash in warm tones dominated Dax Bayani’s “Palenquem” swimwear collection of varying cuts and styles. Colors and patterns were also the main draw in Melchor Guinto’s presentation, where contrasting colors in blocks, stripes and plaid are applied on sharply cut suits and figure-skimming sheaths; we wish he had focused more on his spiffy two- and three-piece outfits for women, as their boarding school-appropriate aesthetic was a refreshing palate cleanser from the stream of slouchy silhouettes that populated Russell Villafuerte’s collection. Characterized by urbane comfort with its offerings of cotton T-shirt dresses, drop-crotch pants, and cropped tops layered with mesh overlays, Villafuerte’s spring/summer fashion display is reminiscent of the ‘90s grunge scene especially with the checkered accents that pop up as piping and fabric panels. The ‘90s were also called to mind in Lizanne Cua’s “Of Half Light” collection of neutral trapeze shift dresses and tube frocks layered with boleros and jackets. Though borderline prosaic, there is chic austerity to most of her pieces, though Cua unfortunately muddles it up with the studded harness-like contraptions that look tacked on to the dresses. Closing the show was Sassa Jimenez’s presentation, the clear crowd favorite with its profusion of prints on prints — ranging from flora-and-fauna patterns to batik-inspired motifs — vividly stamped onto pantsuits, maxi dresses and tulip skirts. It augurs the kind of festive season we’d like to spend our vacations on.

To the throne

 When a show opens with the theme from Game of Thrones, it’s hard not to get excited and expectant: Will there be fur? Will there be blood? Will there be bare breasts?

There was none of the first two in Gerry Katigbak’s spring/summer presentation but his resortwear collection has sufficient enough drama to please even a clothing-eschewing Khaleesi. Using white swimsuits as the base, the designer showed his discriminating eye with sheer high-necked coverups in black, gray and white. The fluid, clean lines are relieved with Asian-inspired accents of lace and beaded epaulets and delicate embroidery at the cuffs and on hemlines. In stark contrast, Jun Jun Cambe went straight down the costume route with his Pagliacci meets flamenco explosion of colors, textures, embellishments and ruffles. There are a few remarkable pieces in the presentation, such as the tailored peplum coat with gold polka dots and a Mondo (of Project Runway)-reminiscent black-and-white dots-on-dots coverup, but it was an otherwise chaotic collection catered to a specific audience: the blue-haired lolas on the front row who clapped with glee whenever the models twirled their skirts with Española flourish. Less harum-scarum but equally unpolished was Michelle Lim’s collection. Starting with pastel A-line and peplum skirts paired with lacy tops, the presentation took a sharp turn to bridesmaid territory with busier bodices and longer skirts before ending bizarrely with a model wearing a snugly cut floor-length skirt — and only elaborate skin art as top. We weren’t sure if the audience was clapping to diffuse the awkwardness, but the model deserved the applause for having real and spectacular boobs. So that’s one item out of three from our initial imaginings.