Manila’s fashion icons, young stylists and sexy sirens arrived at Dusit Thani Manila to watch Face-Off, the biggest bridal fashion show this year, still with their best friend forever, the ageless little black dress.

 

The LBD appeared in all its guises and manipulations, long and short, classic or edgy, in stark shantung or fully beaded. Sponsored by Samsung, Inquirer Lifestyle and Look Magazine, with Dusit Thani Manila, Face-Off 2012 saw these lovely ladies dressed like they were attending a wedding, but so as not to upstage the brides perhaps, they wore a non-color: black. They never looked lovelier—black was mysterious, slimming and seductive.

 

This powerful one-piece wonder was popularized by Coco Chanel in the ’20s, and since then has become an austere uniform of the chic and severely elegant. The most famous LBD was worn by Audrey Hepburn in the film “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” designed by Hubert de Givenchy.

 

Reincarnations

 

Its reincarnations are legion. And why not? You zip it up and forget about it. And since black absorbs light, you will always photograph beautifully. An LBD is a woman’s secret weapon.

 

Look at these great portraits. Why do Pinays look so good in black? It starts with their tresses, shiny black like a raven’s feathers, then their onyx eyes and eyebrows that look so exotic with black eyeliner and shadow.

 

The LBD, whether glossy or matte, masculine and tailored or femininely draped or accented with a peplum, is best set off by sheer black stockings and punctuated by black pumps or the latest patent platforms. It’s a head-to-toe look, a total package.

 

For the evening’s extravaganza, a fashion show’s climax is traditionally a bridal gown. So if the 40 robes de marriage were contestants in a beauty pageant, the winner in my book was the wedding terno by Cary Santiago, and the first runner-up was Auggie Cordero’s black and white feathered masterpiece. I wonder why veils and bouquets were omitted, though. Maybe it was to show that these original couture numbers could be worn again and again, just like an LBD.