THE NEW CLASS

YStyle takes you backstage for the sixth iteration of The Philippine Fashion Ball.

What was your inspiration for your new collection?

The traje de mestiza and terno are my inspirations. As much as there is the history of the “dress” that might have happened in many places around the world, I believe the aesthetic of the traje de mestiza and terno are very special, and even different. They are fine creations — in terms of silhouettes, craftsmanship, quality and attention to detail. There is a way of folding certain pieces of the look, and there are several layers of clothing that complete the look. I wanted to adapt these classic styles to more wearable pieces today. I wanted to capture the sense of elegance of the traje de mestiza and terno, and make them wearable. I want to show that despite the need to adapt to the weather and to be more practical or cost-conscious, we can still make beautiful, classic and fine pieces that are not reserved just for special occasions. We can still project all that class, beauty and craftsmanship of what we used to see on the traje de mestiza and terno. Aesthetics don’t necessarily have to change just as the generations before us have adapted European high fashion to suit our weather and lifestyle. I want to apply the same aesthetic we have before to our current tropical and even economic climate today.

Can you tell us about this season’s woman? She constantly incorporates activewear into her wardrobe of classic and trendy pieces. Comfort and style are both equally important. How is your new collection similar or different from your last collection? This new collection is very different from my previous ones. The silhouettes of the garments are more fitted and meant to embrace the shape of a woman’s body. Producing the collection was a challenge and labor-intensive. There was a lot of hand stitching involved. The lines of the checkered and striped fabrics had to match as well. It also was my first time to work on custom hats. How do you describe the local fashion in today’s youth culture? I think today’s youth is very trend-conscious, into fast fashion, and highly influenced by social media.

What do you think is your contribution to the fashion industry? I think my best contribution is my style of creating tasteful and well-crafted clothes, while incorporating classic styles and adapting them to be more wearable, modern pieces to suit our current tropical and even economic climate. Fast fashion has posed a great challenge to designers, but I am trying to bring back the demand for unique, beautiful, bespoke creations. Who among the local designers do you look up to?

My favorite local designer would have to be Chito Vijandre. I believe his work is brilliant and fascinating. His style is very sophisticated and tasteful. I’ve seen some of his creations during the “Slim’s at 50” fashion show in 2011. I really love how he combines different materials and makes them work together to create a beautiful, cohesive and well-made collection. Even the items he sells in his stores are very curated, interesting, unique and special. How do you see your brand/label in the next five years?

I see my brand to be continuously innovating, growing, and still keeping the promise of creating products that express beauty and class, fine craftsmanship, sophisticated taste and intelligent design. I also see my brand as continuously promoting Filipino talent globally and establishing quality fashion manufacturing in the Philippines. It’s been part of the plan to have my creations sold through different stockists overseas, and to have collaborations with artists from different genres —may it be fashion, music, and/or art.