Back to neutral zone

There’s every reason for Superman to return Brainiac to the Neutral Zone after the latter’s irrepressible sense of chaos. In the same way, after a dizzying display of holiday colors, particularly red and purple, the New Year yearns for neutrality in style.

There might be fewer reasons to kick up one’s heels if the haute couture markets keep dwindling (no thanks to the looming worldwide crisis), but for party dresses, Philip Rodriguez is still a go-to guy. Maybe more so than ever, considering he specializes in the sort of unflashy and non-fussy, elegantly anonymous dresses that a woman can return to year after year. All she has to do is update her accessories—this season the designer layered the exquisite fabrics for a chic oatmeal bridal dress whether you’re the bride or part of the entourage and even a guest. For Cary Santiago, laser cut outs still reign supreme and was a key motif of the long, concise and voluminous dress in black and white.

Retail lines BySi, Simon and Mossimo followed suit with their own brand of neutrality. It was eye-catching on the neckline of a black-purple halter dress and black and grey shirt with immaculate white jeans for the alpha male respectively.  

Cutting edge designers Ray Kuan and newbie Barbie Alvez did make the cut, including a sleek menswear in earth tones for the former and a draped micro-fiber strapped dress with a peek-a-boo neckline for the latter. On Ray Kuan’s men’s line, one pair of trousers came with origami-like folds at the pockets in Prince of Wales fabrication. All is quite and orderly in the design home-front as couture and prêt-a-porter embraced the neutral zone.  Bravissimo!