Wheref ashion’s finest ALL

Back in the day, the chic and fashionable set was composed of ladies who lunch. They were decked out in their pearls or diamonds, with not a piece of hair astray and every bit a lady in their perfectly pressed dresses every time they did something as mundane as paying the bills. These were the women that most of us wanted to be when we were younger as we tried on shoes that were too big, lipstick that was a tad too dark for daytime, and pearl necklaces that were way too long. In the ‘70s, or what most people fondly recall as the golden era of Philippine fashion, these ladies gathered in a hotel ballroom over lunch or tea to see what the local designers’ interpretations of current trends were and what stunning pieces they had come up with.

Now, decades later, even though most stylish women and "it" girls are constantly clad in jeans and aim to look casual and effortlessly beautiful – the Filipino flair for style, glamour, and high fashion still remains. Granted, lunch or tea has turned into cocktails, but nothing much else has changed. The talent of our local designers, the beauty of their work, their cutting-edge spirit and passion for their art still cannot be masked.

This is what Metro magazine, along with Samsung, presents in Metrowear 2006. First, there’s the Metrowear Series that kicks off on Oct. 4 at The Loft in Rockwell. This prelude to the Metrowear Gala in December is a series of four shows featuring the full collections of 11 major designers like Lulu Tan Gan, Rajo Laurel, Rhett Eela, Cesar Gaupo, and Dennis Lustico to name a few. Not since the Fashion Watch Series under the helm of the late Richard Tann in the late ‘90s has Manila experienced a series like this.

Here’s a peek into the minds and collections of some of our top designers. A definite hint that we’re in for quite a show!

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Check out part two featuring the other designers of Metrowear next week!