A mixed bag of tricks

MANILA, Philippines - From proving that two unlikely fabrics could be combined seamlessly to taking style inspiration from the humble cardboard box, this season, designers were chockfull of fresh ideas and vogue concepts.

Dimple Lim

Discounting the choices that costume designer Judianna Makovsky made when outfitting Jennifer Lawrence for the film adaptation of The Hunger Games, what Dimple Lim churned out for this season turned out to be exactly what I had in mind when imagining what Suzanne Collins’ heroine would be wearing while she lived in the coal-mining town of District 12. And it looks like I may not have been too far off: According to the designer, she was inspired by “cult groups from different small towns” and that she played with “proportions of uniform-like outfits.” Well, Katniss wasn’t from a cult, but as part of a communist regime, they did wear uniforms. The models were at ease moving in the soft, distressed pieces made with jersey and cotton poplin in rustic browns and brick reds — perfect for Katniss to go hunting in, really. Some of the ensembles were topped off with interesting boxy, structured tops and paneled barongs with cord details. Broken down into separates, these are definitely pieces for the urban female warrior.

Jian Lasala

The best unions are the most unexpected ones. By the time Jian Lasala sent down his final look on the runway, only one thing ran through my mind: Who knew that tulle and cotton could go so well together? With such an unusual combination of fabrics, Lasala made the right choice by working mainly with basic silhouettes. The softly tailored cotton cocktail dresses in burgundy had tulle peeking out from underneath the skirts and rather than coming across as trashy, the results were so precious, I could forgive the heeless heels that the models struggled with. As for Lasala’s tasteful take on eveningwear, it was refreshing and sophisticated — definitely not your usual slinky evening down. According to Lasala, he chose cotton so that clients could wear the pieces on a daily basis. “When you remove the tulle skirts, (the tops) can actually be paired with pants and some of the dresses can be mullet dresses,” he explains. With this clever collection, Lasala has proven that he is part of the next generation of designers to watch out for.

Yako Reyes

This season, Yako Reyes played around with an interesting concept. After viewing “Embankment,” a 2005 exhibition by sculptor Rachel Whiteread featuring polythene casts of the utilitarial cardboard box, he decided to explore themes of versatility himself. In the end, he came out with a series of minimalist sportswear, which Reyes made for travel. The ensembles certainly looked urban, modern and wearable, especially when taken apart. The loose, zippered jackets, in particular, looked like functional, yet stylish items to travel with. However, I took issue with the square-shaped handbags that some models toted. Perhaps they were inspired by Whiteread’s polythene-case boxes, but to the uninformed, they just looked like cheap dopp kits. Otherwise, there were definitely pieces I could see Heidi Klum sporting while braving the paparazzi-infested LAX.

Happy Andrada

Made with 100-percent eco-friendly organic materials and Philippine woven fabrics made from abaca, pineapple silk and crepe, dupioni, jusi, bamboo and water lily, Happy Andrada deserves credit for not only pulling off a coherent collection, but also for creating a wearable one, considering how difficult it is to work with the materials she has chosen. By mixing pretty pastels with grays and working with geometric patterns and complex construction, Andrada’s collection also manages to be youthful, which is also difficult to achieve when working with woven fabrics. With that being said, while the clothing is wearable, it’s not for everybody. A pencil skirt made of natural fibers, when worn by a non-model, has a tendency to add volume that could be very unflattering for the wearer. However, a blazer made with this type of material, when executed with Andrada’s beautiful tailoring, could be a wonderful and very versatile addition to your office wardrobe.