AMID NEWS OF IMPENDING calamities, plagues and unstable prices, the local fashion industry took a defiant stance at this year?s Philippine Fashion Week.
The mood was celebratory and escapist, disco-hopping as if it were the era of Louie Y, Euphoria, Faces and Mars. Runways were awash in black outfits, high glam and body-skimming pieces evocative of ?80s fashion, the era of excess.
Meanwhile, the big brands invested on big-budget productions to woo their market. The audience was dressed to the nines, particularly younger women in thigh-high styles who teetered in towering stilettos.
SM, a partner of Philippine Fashion Week, opened the season with its new marketing tack. SM creative consultant and menswear house designer Anthony Nocom explained, ?It?s our holiday collection, so there are lots of beadwork and shine. We?re upgrading the store and the merchandise. SM has premier stores in Metro Manila where the quality is more upscale yet affordable to customers who can?t afford the high-end, imported labels. Our market is aspirational.?
A segment of the show was devoted to the teen market, a significant market for SM, which featured updated versions of the preppy look (blazers, cardigans, plaids) renamed as Urban Campout, along with contemporary styling of the uniform blue jeans with brighter tops.
The ?80s punk (spikes, faux leather, hardware and studs) was toned down and styled as rock glam, mixed with sequins, trendier graphic prints and hoods. The girls had their version of the Little Black Dress.
SM also presented a diversity of labels. The corporate lines featured classic pinstripe suits for men, padded suits for women, tweed suits and stock-tied shirts, reminiscent of the ?80s movie on working women, ?9 to 5.?
The imported lines offered minis and ruched jerseys so women could show off their bodies sculpted by yoga, Pilates, weight training or liposuction. The store also introduced a dressy resort collection?mostly bright-colored shirts and cropped pants for the men, sheer caftans embellished with stones for women and soft draped skirts.
To complement the collections, SM brandished a reinvented Parisian line?platform stilettos that were either strappy, boot-cut, studded or clad in faux animal skin, to complement short flirty dresses and patterned leggings.
The pieces de resistance were designers? collections, pioneers of Boutique Square which, 25 years ago, celebrated Filipino creativity. Though known for tailored styles, Mike dela Rosa created a classic, draped strapless gown. Nocom?s suits under his name were shiny and slim in cut.
Efren Ocampo went for texture as his spaghetti-strapped black dresses were adorned with fringes, ostrich feathers and cutwork lace. For contrast, there were dresses in aquamarine and gold, embellished with paillettes and dainty beadwork.
?In the last Gucci collection, it was shine, shine, shine!? declared Ocampo.
RTW pioneer Cesar Gaupo was still young at heart. He imbued his signature bodysuit with shorter proportions. Black fabrics were combined with bronze, gold and purple. There were lots of contrasts such as asymmetric necklines and mandarin collars, and stretched knits playing against the shine of polyester shantung.
For a sculptural effect, Gaupo played with generously pleated folds and bows. We loved the one-shoulder dress with a white organza top and pouf sleeves cascading on the back, accented with a purple band over a black skirt.
?My idea is to move forward and not get stuck in the classic look. It?s young, isn?t it?? says Gaupo of his pieces, with his trademark chuckle.
