THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT
Thoughtful, provocative, and technically accomplished, new designers signal brighter days ahead for Philippine fashion.
by: Yonina Chan
The second night of the ongoing Philippine Fashion Week series was both revelatory and a revelation: The young, fundamentally aspiring designers in the New Generation showing displayed a marked sophistication in both philosophies and techniques rarely experienced in previous entry-level showcases. Manila Bulletin selected five of the most accomplished and provocative of the participating designers:
ALODIA CECILIA
Tying together a broad spectrum of influences, young designer Alodia Cecilia’s collection features a selection of urban nomadic pieces, punctuated by a few dressier styles that reference elements of Asian and Western medieval royalty.
Influenced by her mother and grandmother to go into fashion, Alodia started her fashion studies with a course in fashion illustration at Golden Hands, then proceeded with pattern making at the Fashion Institute of the Philippines. Herself strongly inclined to the visual arts, she also took up short courses in painting at the College of Saint Benilde, and is scheduled for a full degree course in Fine Arts in 2009.
Alodia’s fashion week collection is at once concerned with the very practical ideas of the daily commute, as well as the incorporation of her own line of accessories (which, in fact, she has been better known for). Addressing the concerns of the average commuter, most silhouettes of her casual pieces—which are inspired by the forms of traditional Thai dolls, although minimized or exaggerated in certain parts—are, before anything, very wearable and practical for daily use. Additionally, Alodia incorporated other practical details such as calf pockets on skinny pants (for easy access of coins while riding a jeep) and a small backpack on her turtle-inspired vest (which, notably, uses wool piping to create a mosaic design).
Alodia’s accessories, on the other hand, either contrast the rugged textures of her casual designs, or alternately underscore the idea of sovereignty in her dressier pieces. Notably, her headpieces made of Swarovski crystals, freshwater pearls, silver metal components, and handmade snakeskin beads provide a modern translation of the glamour and opulence of medieval times.
www.mb.com.ph/issues/2008/06/01/20080601126173.html
Philippine Fashion Week: A New Generationby Trina T. Epilepsia posted on Tuesday June 3, 2008
Philippine fashion's torchbearers were front and center last week, showcasing their debut collections during Philippine Fashion Week 2008.The New Generation Collection featured 12 brand spanking new designers, showcasing their debut collections on the second day of Fashion Week. While guests were brought in at 8:15 pm (in order to start the 8:30 show on time), most of the audience decided to arrive not-so-fashionably late, thus delaying the start of the show. Since half of the seats were placed ingeniously in the middle of the rectangular catwalk, event organizers had to wait for the middle seats to be filled up before starting, as latecomers would've disrupted the sashaying models.
Nonetheless the show itself was a success. The 12 young designers showed a stunning display of range and originality, and while there were some misses, strong collections from some individuals drove up the applause as the designers took their place on stage.Fashion week was held in the newly opened SMX Convention Center, a monolith structure found next to the sprawling SM Mall of Asia. The imposing steel and glass structure housed several hangar-like halls. The New Generation Collection was held in Hall 3, which complete whitewashed, with rows and rows of neatly lined up white seats surrounding a sleek catwalk. Guests and media personnel were all chatting up a storm before the show, pausing only to look up each time time a fashion or showbiz celebrity slinked to their seats or when director extraordinaire Joey Espino Jr. strode by in his white and silver ensemble. Finally, perhaps a good 40 minutes after the doors were opened, the lights dimmed and the throbbing beats began.
A short introduction video was flashed on screen, segueing smoothly into the collections; first up was accessories maverick Alodia Ceciclia. Her 'Urban Royalty' collection was a very feminine take on African and Asian styles, softening them up jewel colors and loose, modern silhouettes. Cecilia's intricate accessories were the definite highlight of the collection, as chains snaked their way around the models' napes and temples; they were statement pieces that retained their wearability even as they elevate a simple ensemble to new dazzling heights.
No comments:
Post a Comment