As Cebu awaits Inquirer Lifestyle’s Face-Off Bridal Collection, a fashion show and red-carpet event to be held on July 20 at Radisson Blu that’s shaping up as the biggest fashion affair this city will see this year, we’ve decided to celebrate Cebu fashion not through the talents that design the clothes, but through the stylish people who do those clothes justice.
Here are men and women whose sense of dressing we admire. Not everyone will wish they had their clothes (not everyone can pull off crop tops and hot pants, for example), but we do wish we had these style-setters’ confidence and nonchalance—and let’s face it, lithe frames—to wear them.
As perennial fixture on the international best-dressed list Sofia Coppola said: “It is good to have other interests outside of getting dressed.” The members of our list seem to think so as well. Their personal runways range from boardrooms and factories to kitchens and law offices, but what these men and women have in common is a sense of style that is never affected but always authentic—easy, effortless and rarely labored.
(The Face-Off Bridal Heritage Exhibit at SM Cebu North Wing, is sponsored by SM and Champion Infinity.)
Gayle Urgello Cheok, 29, pastry chef
One word that best describes your sense of style: Minimalist
Whose closet would you most like to raid? Victoria Beckham’s and Arissa Cheo’s
One piece of clothing/accessory you can’t part with: A pair of black leggings
What’s your favorite era in fashion and why? I love the 1930s for its sophistication, slinky fabrics and bias-cut dresses.
Dream label/designer to wear to a red carpet event: Lanvin
Vito Selma, 29, furniture
designer/
photographer
One word that best describes your sense of style: Easygoing
Whose closet would you most like to raid? Ryan Gosling’s
One piece of clothing/accessory you can’t part with: Good shoes
What’s your favorite era in fashion and why? The 1950s. I want to be Marlon Brando!
Dream label/designer to wear to a red carpet event: Armani
AR Dueñas, 26, property
specialist/model
One word that best describes your sense of style: Whatever
Whose closet would you most like to raid? Chiara Ferragni’s
One piece of clothing/accessory you can’t part with: A wrist watch
What’s your favorite era in fashion and why? The 1950s. Women looked so elegant and sophisticated then.
Dream label/designer to wear to a red carpet event: Givenchy
Jandrick Climaco, 28, entrepreneur/designer, Fushu Shoes
One word that best describes your sense of style: Laid-back
Whose closet would you most like to raid? I’d most likely raid James Bond’s closet and Richie Rich’s toy cabinet.
One piece of clothing/accessory you can’t part with: I have these rutile quartz bracelets that I haven’t removed for a couple of years now. It has sentimental value for me and my mom.
What’s your favorite era in fashion and why? I’d say the 1950s. The slimmer ties, cardigans, multicolored shirts and less pronounced collars appeal to me.
Dream label/designer to wear to a red carpet event: Hugo Boss
Kymberly Muego
Maitland-Smith, 23, designer/ blogger, www.vanillaaddiction.com
One word that best describes your sense of style: Indie
Whose closet would you most like to raid? Mary-Kate Olsen’s and Vanessa Hudgens’
One piece of clothing/accessory you can’t part with: I must have at least one ring on.
What’s your favorite era in fashion and why? The 1980s, because it was so fun and expressive. I love matching loose shirts with tight bottoms. Accessories and make-up were worn to excess and fashion became more rebellious in a way. I love dressing very simply at times, but I also love going over-the-top and being carefree with my style.
Dream label/designer to wear to a red carpet event: Dior Haute Couture
Mikel Rama, 27, lawyer
One word that best describes your sense of style: Understated
Whose closet would you most like to raid? Kanye West’s
One piece of clothing/accessory you can’t part with: Plain white V-necks
What’s your favorite era in fashion and why? The present. There’s more leeway to be creative, and people are more open-minded and better informed because of the Internet.
Dream label/designer to wear to a red carpet event: Chanel, because it has a cool logo.
Anne Gretchen Choa-Uy, 32, entrepreneur
One word that best describes your sense of style: A single letter really: C. My style is classic, colorful and comfortable.
Whose closet would you most like to raid? Kelly Rutherford’s and her character in “Gossip Girl,” Lily van der Woodsen’s. Her real and reel closet would be the perfect closet!
One piece of clothing/accessory you can’t part with: I always have a pair of earrings on me (my mom’s vintage ones, or my friend Janina Dizon-Hoschka’s transformer earrings), a watch my dad gave me and my wedding band.
What’s your favorite era in fashion and why? The 1950s with Dior’s New Look, because it was feminine and powerful at the same time. Tailoring was also at its finest then. However, I also enjoy this generation’s street style. The mix of high and low sparks creativity and truly showcases a person’s individual style.
Dream label/designer to wear to a red carpet event: Cary Santiago has always been a dream, alongside Valentino, Carolina Herrera and Oscar de la Renta.
Best-dressed couple: Chris and Nia Aldeguer
Chris Aldeguer, 38,
design entrepreneur, Loalde and Fish18
One word that best describes your sense of style: Comfort
Whose closet would you most like to raid? Ralph Lauren’s, but I would raid his garage first.
One piece of clothing/accessory you can’t part with: A V-neck T-shirt
What’s your favorite era in fashion and why? The 1970s. I think it’s the era that has the best designs in cars and architecture, and my love for this era has influenced my style.
Dream label/designer to wear to a red carpet event: Armani
What outfit do you most love seeing on Nia? A simple casual dress
Nia Durano-Aldeguer, 36, architect/creative director, Loalde and Fish18
One word that best describes your sense of style: Contemporary
Whose closet would you most like to raid? Rachel Zoe’s
One piece of clothing/ accessory you can’t part with: A black dress
What’s your favorite era in fashion and why? I love the 1930s. Art deco and modernism influenced architecture and fashion. There was an emphasis on timeless designs, and fashion and architecture were so inextricably linked then. As Coco Chanel said, “Fashion is architecture, it is a matter of proportions.”
Dream label/designer to wear to a red carpet event: Valentino and Alexander McQueen
What outfit do you most love seeing on Chris? A casual plain tee and pants