DESIGNER PROFILE
Celebrating her 10th year in the business, Sassa Jimenez brings a new lightness of being to her ultra feminine creations
Sassa Jimenez redefines feminism
Being ‘in fashion’ requires a certain ‘nowness.’ A fashion trend, let’s say period dressing, with square necklines from the 16th century, can only appeal to fashionphiles of today when the likes of Vaquera and Y/ Project recreate this look into the 21st century as a cropped top or a chic white dress. The designer, in that same context, is then given a big responsibility to represent an idea, but also making it uniquely their own. That is the best description of Sassa Jimenez and her decadelong tenure in the business.
However, fashion was never a first love for Sassa Jimenez. Growing up, she remembers delving into different activities from cooking to dancing, and even painting. It only became clear to her when she entered college at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in LA that she was meant to be in fashion.
Her perseverance in creating a career out of it led her to love fashion design. “I’m not sure if it’s something that I was meant to do,” she reveals. “I just really worked hard on learning it in fashion school because I was so determined to make it into a career.”
But it was 10 years ago that Sassa Jimenez made a stamp in the Philippine fashion landscape when she showcased a 45-piece collection for Philippine Fashion Week. She admits that her youthful spirit made her say yes, however daunting the challenge was especially as a young designer. “I always refer to my participation in Philippine Fashion Week as my big break,” she says. “It was then that I established a place in the industry, and I had to jump through a lot of hoops in the past 10 years to keep my place.”
Beyond the avant garde creations of that decade, a wideeyed Sassa filled her runway with ultra-feminine pieces in bright and lady-like colors. At a time when the designs of her contemporaries were roaring with exaggerated details, her pieces glided on the runway as if they were soft whispers of joy, lending itself to distinct memory.
“I’M NOT SURE IF IT’S SOMETHING THAT I WAS MEANT TO DO, I JUST REALLY WORKED HARD ON LEARNING IT IN FASHION SCHOOL BECAUSE I WAS SO DETERMINED TO MAKE CAREER” IT INTO A
Fast forward to today, Sassa Jimenez is celebrating her first decade in fashion with a collection entitled TEN.
“It is a re-imagining of looks and techniques I’ve developed and loved over the years.” she shares. And the result is a new kind of feminine. Sassa’s signature details such as ruffles, soft layers, and unusual skirts are still present but as if going on overdrive. Noticably prominent was a strong case of intelligence in the placements of these aesthetics in every garment produced. For example, over-exaggerated ruffles looked like a burst of soft clouds, which still held a certain kind of restraint. In this collection, she is able to take the Sassa of 10 years ago and bring her into the light of 2019, with clarity and a certain transformation only perseverance and constant learning can bring.
In 2020, Sassa is eyeing another monumental event as she is set to stage another big fashion show. If TEN was a sneak peek of what is to come, then consider us eagerly anticipating the wave of wonder she has in store for us.