The emancipation of Mich Dulce

Mich Dulce is many things: front woman for local band Death By Tampon, sophomore fine arts students at UP Diliman taking up painting, and co-owner of Store For All Seasons. She is not a blend-with-the-wallpaper kind of gal – from her personal style, which can be classified as Japanese or Williamsburg street, to her designs.

After majoring in Ateneo de Manila, followed by classes in Central St. Martins in London and the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, she interned for Cecile Zamora, Marjan Pejoski (known for the controversial swan dress Bjork wore to the Oscars in 2001), Jessica Ogden, and Susan Cianciolo in New York. Followed by a stint at Fila as house designer for a year and a half, Mich is now working on moving on and revamping her style, as well as managing the store she co-owns with Cecile Zamora.

"When I was younger, I started with a lot of cutesy-looking designs," Mich said, "mostly Japanese street-inspired because that was what I could relate to. As I grew older, my tastes matured into more conceptual designs. Currently, it’s a mix of both – they’ve fused together. Now, I have more of a grasp of my craft. When I started out I didn’t really know how to construct garments. After studying and developing my skills, there are more possibilities, and I’m less limited."

"She’s a fast learner," Cecile Zamora said. "I saw the detail on her work (for this collection) and recognized the ruffle technique she learned from her internship with Marjan Pejoski. I was amazed at how much she absorbed in that span of time."

Known for her voluminous and textured pieces – "I like handmade and hand-worked details with lots of drapes and interesting shapes," Mich interjected – in unadorned material, her current collection, a floral fantasy of pretty pinks and bright yellows, make a totally different statement.

"I’m actually not big on color when it comes to my designs," she admitted. This is the first time she’s worked with this kind of whimsical print. "I’ve been working with plain fabrics my whole career. I guess I just felt like a change."

Entitled "All We Have Is Now," the fabrics and shapes – from a poofy skirt done entirely in light blue tulle to a blouse with exaggerated kimono-like sleeves – are a revitalizing change for the young designer. "Normally all my collections are inspired by tragedy or sadness, and this time, I wanted to do a collection which was refreshing and light."

"Love in a childlike dream world," is how Mich defines her latest work. Her embrace of unusual elements combines to create a selection of garments that typifies the kind of daring, fashionable and spunky person that she is. "I would say that the silhouettes are still distinctly me," she explained, "with a lot of texture and drapes and exaggerated shapes. But this collection is more doll-like, because it’s about remaining childlike amidst cynicism."

* * *

Mich Dulce’s ready-to-wear line is available at Store for All Seasons, located at 605 Shaw Blvd (Tel. 717-0884). For made to order garments, call 0917-8951743 to schedule an appointment.