Lights, action, cut!

MANILA, Philippines - Oh, you’re in black again?”

Despite the ubiquity of the hue (in my closet, at least), black is always back, always now, always right. (Unless you’re going to a Chinese wedding, then no, it’s not right.) Michael Kors, Anna Sui, Coco Chanel — their runways may be rife with color, but their uniform often consists of a single hue. (Except for Coco, who, it must be noted, is dead, but was known for carving out a signature black ensemble, embellished by a rope of pearls hanging around her neck, while she was still alive.)

Even the late Christian Dior agrees, noting that “Black is the most popular and the most convenient and the most elegant of all colors. And I say color on purpose, because black may be sometimes just as striking as a color. You can wear black at any time. You can wear it at any age. You may wear it for almost any occasion.” Even the painter Renoir acknowledged its power. The French impressionist spent years imposing his vibrant vision on his canvas, finally conceding that the most impressive hue wasn’t even a color: “I’ve spent 40 years discovering that the queen of all colors was black,” Renoir noted.

Perhaps, it’s how you wear black that matters. On a pair of wide trousers and a striking jacket, like at Haider Ackerman, or on a slick leather dress at Alexander Wang. Here, it’s worn in a form-fitting dress, the color lending it a modesty it wouldn’t have were it in a different color. When color is a non-issue, it’s all about the cut.

Photo by EDRIC CHEN, Modeled by ALYSHA NETT