Groom Improvement

CEBU, Philippines - An experimental menswear collection can be a tough test for an up-and-coming women’s designer who is still establishing her identity in menswear, but Marichu Tan passed with flying colors. In an economic climate where everyone is tempted to cut corners, it’s clear that this lady designer, when making men’s clothes, is devoted to the craft, and to making them with some of the finest materials out there. The starting point for Tan’s bridal ensemble is a sharp tailored charcoal wool suit so severe the late Alexander McQueen would have loved it.

At the Bridal Fair Fashion Show in Parkmall, Cebu Fashion Designers Alliance (C.F.D.A.) thought about playing with the idea of re-packaging the dated groom look. Apart from Tan’s designs, there was one double-faced camel suit with an asymmetric lapel (Edwin Ao) and the now de rigueur stovepipe trousers. Another suit wrapped with spiraling horsehair and an element of color (khaki and turquoise) came from Protacio, but that bit of tongue-in-cheek aside, all three are deadly serious about the business of looking groom dapper.

Then William Manahan sent down a mean shark skin blanc et noir suit. It’s the attention to detail that separates his latest menswear from the next guy’s. Apparently, Manahan spent three days with his patternmaker making sure the black satin piping on one such number appeared just so sharp against a well toned modern man. Other show highlights included an all black matte tropical wool and silk duchesse tuxedo with a bow-tied lapel. If some of the looks bear too close a resemblance to pieces from their last collection in last year’s bridal show, the featured designers get a pass this time around for their latest menswear is perfection from the previous line. That’s the risk in having such a razor-sharp focus. Bravissimo!