UNDETERRED by the substantial downsizing of Philippine Fashion Week (PhFW), the brothers Audie and Joey Jr. Espino continue to carry on. The venue of the two-day shows, Discovery Primea in Makati City, was more intimate. A handful of carefully selected designers didn’t need to compete with a hundred others for the short attention spans of the fashion crowd. Now, guests and buyers got to see the clothes up close and personal.
“Etéreo”
Veteran designer Jun-Jun Cambe unveiled a collection that’s true to his aesthetic and approach.
“The avant-garde is really my signature for shows or in forecasting trends, because you can never go wrong because baliw ang look or what’s affordable when selling the clothes,” the outspoken designer said. “I just did what I do best all these years—sell! I have been in the business for 45 years, and it’s really expensive to do what I do for the fashionista crowd.”
Cambe combined what’s in (tulle) and something classic (chiffon) to make the flowy dresses look light and fresh, with detailed embellishments and lightweight lace. In timeless colors, the inspiration for his collection were fairies.
He called it Etéreo Spanish for ethereal. “The overall look illustrates the perfect contrast and fusion of the Jun-Jun Cambe woman, who is edgy, stylish and confident. These were classic designs with flowy fabrics and intricate beadwork, the marriage of the Old World and the contemporary seamlessly pulled off the Cambe way,” he said in his production notes.
“Golden Rule”
In producing the 21st season of PhFW, the Espinos got solid support from Power Mac Center (PMC), a recognized Apple premium reseller. Designer Pat Santos collaborated with PMC’s Sonix products, a range of powerbanks and iPhone cases made dainty with prints reflecting the clothes that sashayed down the runway.
“‘Golden Rule’ is about understanding and consideration and being selfless. My greatest gift to Filipinos is to create wearable couture, which will be available on the market at very reasonable prices,” the soft-spoken designer said.
Santos’s fabrications were a lively, vibrant mix. “There are plenty of variations that I showcased in my collection, because I want to enhance different silhouettes and structures,” he added.
For the florals, Santos used gold-laminated stretch nylon georgette, silky satinized lightweight georgette, embossed cabbage rose jacquard and thick nylon jersey.
For the animal prints: silky stretch velvet and cowhide, and for the sheer dresses were metallic tulle, iridescent organza and stretch nylon soft tulle laminated with metallic gloss.
Santos’s looks evoked the spirit of summer, but the designer said it could be smashing for the holidays.
“Although I used florals and animal prints, the collection doesn’t scream summer. The palette itself brings the holiday-ish feel because of the color tone that I used: moss green, chartreuse, mauve and dark coral are in the family of gem colors, and the cascade and pleating details are the in thing this holiday 2017 season,” Santos shared.
“Animal print and florals put together is a great challenge. It will make or break you. It’s a must that when you combine both prints, it should be carefully done in a creative manner and must adopt the right formula to balance the outcome so they will look flattering,” he added. Gold dominated the collection “to enhance the power, class and strength of a woman”.