Let's hear it for the boys

When Joey Samsom went to his prom at St. Mary Magdalene in his hometown of Cavite, the celebrated designer came dressed to the nines in what many would consider chic to this day (especially during the sartorial crime-filled heyday of the ‘80s): a dapper uniform consisting of a white shirt, plaid cardigan and his father’s flat-front trousers and an old pair of spectator shoes. And this was 1987. At the time, Kelly Bundy (or Christina Applegate, if you must) from Married with Children was showing Al Gore how to destroy the world one hair spray can at a time.

Samson grew up in small-town Kawit where kids looking for a bit of fun would head to Greenhills for recreation and Cinderella for clothes. But the soon-to-be sophisticate already had a sense of style down pat. Growing up with an architect father who knew exactly what flattered a man – from the fall of the fabric to selecting the right tailor – he learned through osmosis, observing the things his father wore and how he put things together. It must’ve helped that his mother required them all to dress alike. "When I was a kid, I always had to be terno with my brother and dad – from the same shirt to the identical print," he says.

In high school, he was able to move away from the herd and dress on his own, but his father’s style had already left a mark: "My style is very similar to his," he says. "I still have some of my dad’s old shirts and pants that I use to this very day."

Not too shabby for the designer usually stamped with an avant-garde style – if only because his modern sensibilities differentiate him from many of his peers. The strict tailoring of many of his suits reflect his father’s tastes while the inherent classicism comes from his mother. "My mother warned me against trends," says Samson.

Haruta, a brand of penny loafers, were popular during his day, yet Samson refused to be swayed by the lure of sock-less loafers. "Guys would wear them with jeans and no socks. It wasn’t cool."

And so, unlike most of the people who even had a two-second contact with the ‘80s, Samson came out of it unscathed by hair spray, new wave or parachute pants. When asked about any of his regrets – outfits-wise – he couldn’t come up with anything. No Vanilla Ice-inspired haircut or crimped Michael Jackson hair marred his memory.

"My style now is pretty much the same," he says, "perhaps a bit more refined. And maybe a little more vakleur."

These days, he attends events decked out in something young and perhaps a little riskier than his earlier exploits. "My attire really depends on my mood. I usually like playing with pieces that I have – keeping in mind that it should be beyond the norm but in a very subtle manner, like a tuxedo shirt with pants from a current collection and high-cut leather sneakers. I can easily throw on a jacket in bitin proportions or grab my lola’s old sweater to finish it."

His advice for guys dressing up? "Wear something that’s appropriate to the occasion which is usually a nice suit – a coat, trousers and dress shirt with a necktie or a bowtie – and an equally nice pair of shoes," he recommends. "But this generation can get away with wearing a suit with a nice pair of sneakers and make it look acceptable."

For the shoot, featuring the much-buzzed-about breakout star of Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveres Nathan Lopez and his twin Gammy, he created a series of looks inspired by Old Hollywood: from trousers in varying lengths, from full flat-front pants with cummerbund to skinny pants folded up over the knee, to coats in different proportions. There are urbane jackets with romantic ruffled collars, a tuxedo coat with exaggerated coattails and the regulation fitted coats in lightweight knits that made Samson a designer to love.

Though he claims his personal style is a little gay, there’s nothing effete in his proportions. The ruffled collar would look just as dashing on Heath Ledger type while the Napoleonic coats would suit a Jake Gyllenhaal-esque figure.

Non-Hollywood types can worry no more: Samson can cut trousers and jackets like nobody’s business and create silhouettes that flatter most bodies.

This season, he recommends lighter fabrics due to the hot weather. He even suggests going coatless. "I’ve done a lot of suits for high school kids and, like those who attend Ateneo, many proms are held at the covered courts or gym instead of the ballroom. There’s nothing wrong with wearing a smart tuxedo shirt with great details and a nice pair of dress pants and skipping the coat altogether."

If offered a do-over, now with his own design skills at hand, would he like to go back in time and change his outfit? "I’d wear the same thing!" he says. "Maybe with a better fitted jacket and more confidence this time around."

If only all of us could say the same.

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You can contact Joey Samson at 890-4419 or 0918-9592541 or visit him at 455 Adalla St., Palm Village, Makati.

For information on the Grand Soho Makati model units (our location for this shoot) at Pacific Star Bldg., Sen. Gil Puyat cor. Makati Ave., visit www.gsmcondo.com or call 818-9025/893-7050.