Luxe a la Maud

A life in luxe is filled with chic indulgences that epitomize a lifestyle. To have a personal designer is a luxury to the limited few and retail to the majority. Once upon a time, to be a "muse" of a designer was an honor enjoyed by a handful, approved by many and envied by the rest. Most would dream to be dressed in precious designer pieces; it was a symbol of stature that only the privileged and the most discerning of tastes can acquire. Today, fashion is no longer a status statement but a manifestation of up-to-date styles that mirror individualism. Designers in both local and international scenes are progressively looking into chic modern practical ways of fusing couture with retail. This, today, is the new luxury.

"Maud" is a genuine expression of femininity and elegance that presents the chic art of refined fashion statements presented in prêt-a-porter (RTW). The line is a creative narrative of modern nostalgic demi-couture-like pieces (fashion created by hand and sold like ready-to-wear off the rack) that evoke femme refinement and pedigreed charm. The subtlety of vintage elegance in distinctive minimal luxe designs is delicately exclusive in limited pieces. The Maud style cues on couture sensibilities translated in its aesthetics that result in excellent quality of workmanship and design. The label’s imaginative silhouettes and graceful tailoring represent the new idea of luxury with a hint of decadence. Its element of style reveals poised and accessible upper crust charm amidst the vanity of lifestyle status. Maud is the new convention with an edge in ideal feminine fashion.

Maud boasts the lady-like trend that remains stylish season after season as it caters to a wide market for women. It is a literal authenticity of creative expression that embodies a signature of prettiness and understated style. Maud offers a dimension of chic-realistic feminine luxe that celebrates the simple yet glamorous realities of fashion.

A fashion design graduate of La Salle College International and an active member of the Young Designers Guild (YDG), Mitzi Quilandrino is the moving mind behind Maud. Named as one of Mega magazine’s "10 Women to Watch" and Preview magazine’s "10 Most Promising Young Designers 2005," the artist is known for her brilliance in captivating priceless elegance unwrapped in fab chic edge. While young stylesetters and fashionistas laud her designs of minimal adornment, her striking dramatization of simplicity in volumes and proportions reveals certain timeliness in the irreverent movement in today’s fashion. The transition of style towards the establishment of demi-couture in global fashion houses is slowly stepping into the local market as young Filipino designers look into a fusion of haute couture and ready-to-wear. The innovative fusion of artistic creativity and practicality transcends into the new definition of mod prêt-a-porter (demi-couture) as seen in the collections of Maud.

(E-mail me at mymultiplechoice@yahoo.com)