The Cebu Young Designers Competition 2011

CEBU, Philippines - Seven were vicariously inspired. They ran the gamut from the mundane to some stratospheric enlightenment or at least a semblance of one. “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of” in your philosophy. Like the much ballyhooed runway presentation of the Cebu Young Designers Competition Year 4, for example, at the Atrium of The Northwing. 

The emergence of a sole survivor which the esteemed judges deemed victorious in her interpretation of the theme Asiatropic Style. In vintage aviator's glasses set about in a rust hooded bolero over a tube top in, wait, hair or mohair? That was the beginning of winner Pinky Magalona's collection. As the models began their march, one can see pieces of shredded fabric to simulate her own version of mohair, very ingenious actually, pantsuit and finally the finale number, a tube top dress with the con-current theme of shredded fabric in a sweeping skirt. Met with a thunderous applause from those present and also screams of delight, the catwalk procession continued as the seven presented their ware, ranging from metal leaves scattered strategically to multicolored spaghetti cords, whatever they were-applied themselves to the task of forming a five-piece collection from surely second in place Mique Yapching.

Where's the mastermind who wants to explain all that? None other than present president of Clothes for Life, Cary Santiago, himself a genius. Who wouldn't need him to explain anything to appreciate the operative point of the whole show, which is, of course, the clothes from fresh young talents? A breath of fresh air for the burgeoning Cebu fashion industry. He has long favored runway presentations as performance art. Not many seasons ago, he used the forum to highlight an imagined modern day princess set in Swan Lake meeting Jules Verne's utopia. Which aims to overstate the endless possibilities of the fashion. In fact, the enlightened seven guided by Asiatropic style were in quite wearable territory. But one of the key-and finest-pieces was a fluid and draped jersey number that required no further explanation at all. From previous winner Lord Maturan whose skills have been polished to almost perfection. Bravissimo!