Style Ingenues

It used to be that fashion designers toiled their way to the top of the rag trade for years before they get recognized by the cognoscenti. Luckily for Cebu, PAGCOR ushered in the Cebu Young Designers Competition (CYDC) wherein young aspirant designers showcase their wares and voila! Instant name recall from the fashion hungry demimonde.

Now on its 3rd year, CYDC staged its most recent installation two weekends ago at the pleasantly propped up Teatro Casino of the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino. Young ingénues Barbie Alvez, Cyrus Velasco, Harvey Cenit, Lord Maturan, Manuel Tomaque, Mark Anthony So and Nolan Arnoco presented a five piece collection that rocked the audience in attendance what with CYDC 2006 winner Lorymer Villareal who presented a 60s inspired collection of baby doll dresses in vibrant hues. Barbie Alvez sent her models clad in black and canary yellow patterned dresses, jumpsuits and a nude colored body hugging short dress with humongous crystals in amber and chrome. Cyrus Velasco's contemporary collection of royalty inspired pieces saw a royal blue and bark brown top with mutton sleeves and gold short shorts and a voluminous dress in paneled royal blue and wood bark brown strips that open up to reveal gold short shorts underneath. "Karaniwang Tao" indeed was Harvey Cenit's silhouette but the painstaking detailing and beadwork set amidst chocolate brown linen could send any luxury seeking socialite to his shop. Another painstakingly worked on collection was Manuel Tomaque's origami inspired dresses in chocolate brown complete with milliner Philip Tracey-esque headpieces and matching handbags. Mark Anthony So's bold graphic dresses were satisfactorily styled with matching conical shaped headpieces, geometric patterned handbags and arm clasps that ignited the audience to a thunderous applause, owing also to the fact that his clean lines opened the show to a fresh start. Nolan Arnoco's jusi and black neoprene collection of dresses and separates had laser cut appliqués reminding us of Cary Santiago's for export pieces with which the inspiration was derived. Finally, finely deconstructed jumpsuits and dresses with juxtaposed pieces in strategic spots floated down the runway like a collective sigh. With that, Lord Maturan bagged the grand prize and will present the same collection to the MetroWear in Manila come end of the month.

Bravissimo!