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The Philippine Fashion Week fever may have cooled down last week, but the impression the nine-day catwalk show created still lingers. Echoing the same fashion trend sweeping across the globe, the Philippine Fashion Week-Holiday 2009 collection displayed a newfound temperance on the catwalk. Hemlines were hiked up, lavish details were kept to a minimum, and the overall runway atmosphere seemed a little bit nostalgic, if not subdued.
It's a clear indication that even the fashion industry is feeling le crunch. Yet it was still remarkable to see a wide breadth of talent coming from up-and-coming Filipino fashion designers in this kind of economy. Recession or no, the shows went on as each designer rallied in style with a few noteworthy pieces that could tempt even the most frugal fashionista. Notes from the runway:
Short-hemmed numbers.
Shrinking hemlines seem to be the fashion world's knee-jerk reaction to a bad economy. Some of the shortest hemlines seen on the catwalk came from the collections of Gerry Katigbak, Jerome Ang, Tina Daniac, Sassa Jimenez, Edwin Uy, and Anthony Ramirez. Designed for cocktail parties, these "micro-mini dresses" come in earth tones and black-and-white, with a few added embellishments (for texture) and ruffles (for volume) above the knee.
Geometric vision.
One doesn't need to be a math genius to notice that geometric prints are all the rage this year. In the Philippine Fashion Week, some designers resorted to using geometric constructions that highlighted graphic prints, pipings, and pleats. The understated-yet-stunning effect of these stylish prints were seen on Jerome Ang's plaid separates, John Herrera's mermaid gowns and Shannon Pamaong's cocktail dresses.
Asymmetrical dressing.
Asymmetrical numbers are still in vogue on the Philippine runway, thanks to US First Lady Michelle Obama. Among the worshippers of asymmetrical dressing in the Fashion Week were Richard Papa (for his canary yellow one-shoulder gown as part of Luxe Wear collection) and Randall Solomon (for his Grecian-style cocktail dresses in basic black).
Flamboyant couture.
Just as most designers scaled back on frivolity, there were a few who dared to go all out with dizzying array of prints and outfits heavy on greens, fuschias, and bright reds. Leading the category of flamboyant couture was designer Oliver Tolentino who debuted his holiday collection (as part of Premier Collection E) with brightly colored dresses adorned with big shoulders, belted waists, and fringed hems. The collection was too overwhelming a sight: each piece seemed to be the result of the designer's overindulgence on details.
Wedding belles.
Overindulging on details may also be Michael Cinco's guilty pleasure, yet in his collection for this year's Philippine Fashion Week, the audience could only watch in awe as models strutted down the runway with his showstopping pieces. Coming home from Dubai (where he is known to be the wedding gown designer of Dubai's elite), he conjured up a dreamy and extravagantly rich collection of long gowns befitting of princess brides. His local followers were not disappointed with his holiday offerings that included heavily beaded fish-tail and princess gowns (that sparkled on the catwalk) and cocktail dresses paved with Swarovski crystals.
Text by Mira Catherine B. Gloria.
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