Arcy Gayatin: Designer for the thinking woman
Arcy Gayatin’s signature bob has been around way before Victoria Beckham made headlines with her razor-sharp tresses or Katie Holmes caused a stir by appearing on the red carpet with an über chic version. The designer’s look has always been chic, put together, relaxed but impeccable. Her favorite fabric is jersey — and her clothes move accordingly.
A fashion icon in her native
However, restraint does not equal boring. Arcy is fond of adding unexpected details to her designs, always experimenting with organic handcrafting techniques and leaving a raw edge that keeps the balance interesting. To her, a blouse is never just a blouse. A dress can morph into many other incarnations. She never is one-dimensional about her designs. Every single detail is purposeful, thought about with the wearer in mind. “I’m more mindful of the woman herself. It’s not just about the visuals. It’s about comfort. The best-dressed people to me are the ones who are comfortable in their own skin. It has to be effortless,” she says. Each dress can be worn repeatedly, she thinks, with different aspects of it highlighted in the context in which it is worn. For this shoot, she picks out a V-necked top with floral appliqué, which turns out to be the upper half of a gown, now worn with a pair of black trousers.
Arcy counts Madame Vionette, Coco Chanel and Miuccia Prada as her inspirations, and is electrified as I tell her that Prada took up Political Science in a university, just like she did. She says of her icons: “Chanel freed the woman from her petticoats, Vionette did so much for us with her bias cut and I love Prada’s fearlessness. She has remarkable business sense, and for her it’s all about intellectual dressing,” she explains.
Just like Prada, her clothes have one standout quality: irony. They are feminine without being overbearing. They are astute, but never stiff. They work from day to night. They are always appropriate, but only slightly risqué. They can show dissent, inconsonance or even outright defiance, and then recede into the shadows at will.
This kind of irony is held by women who have got their personal style down pat. Those who are able to speak their minds, take risks and unabashedly celebrate their womanhood without being labeled masculine or feminine. Arcy Gayatin is, after all, her own best muse.
* * *
Photography by John Darilag • Produced and styled by Eric Pe Benito • Hair and makeup by Wen Wen Zaspa • Jewelry by Pomellato, exclusively available at Vanafi, Shangri-La Mall
