Stepping beyond the ordinary

MANILA, Philippines - Today’s fast-paced lifestyle requires accomplished men and women to look their best all the time to keep up with the day’s demands. A complete, polished look — for a night on the town or a busy workweek — requires several elements for it to stand out.

Cole Haan, the iconic American designer and retailer of premium men’s and women’s footwear, bags and accessories with a deep commitment to craftsmanship, timeless style and design innovation, recently worked with noted Philippine photographer Roy Macam and stylist Alyanna Martinez to interpret the brand’s Fall 2013 collection in the Philippines.

The Philippine interpretation of the “VS” or Versus campaign, where various core product lines were placed opposite each other to create a contrast, was re-interpreted by Roy and Alyanna to showcase how each Cole Haan pair serves as sartorial highlight to outfits for either a night out or a busy workweek. They mixed and matched the various choice of the brand’s footwear and bags in a montage of different looks to celebrate the exceptional with curated elements that elevate Cole Haan shoes and accessories beyond the ordinary: the wingtips versus the saddles for men; and the pumps versus the flats for women.

When asked about their inspiration for the shoot, Roy said, “Fashion now is all about defying the rules of identifying your own style using the classics, which for me was the direction I wanted to take for the project.”

Choice footwear from the men’s collection used by Roy and Alyanna were: The Colton Winter Saddle in chestnut and masonry grain; camello and black iris colorways; the Fall LunarGrand Long Wingtip in vintage-inspired rich umbranil finishing in black iris and chambray; and camello and black combination. Incorporating an innovative ultra-lightweight cushioning system into Cole Haan’s traditional construction techniques, the LunarGrand redefines how dress shoes can move and function in modern urban environments.

For the women’s collection, Alyanna specifically chose the Astoria Ballet and the reinterpretation of the classic stacked mid-heel, easy-to-wear Chelsea Low Flared Heel Pump with patent leather-wrapped heel, both pairs in exotic ocelot print haircalf. The overall look finished with a Lafayette Novelty satchel in the same ocelot print.

Alyanna also hand-picked the Chelsea open-toe low pumps in elegant sandstone and the Astoria Ballet in rich winery matched with the Village tote bag in winery.

On her styling take for the shoot, Alyanna said, “Going with sartorial classics that transition well from day to night, that never go out of style; and finishing the look with simple yet elegant pieces as well as an interesting play on color, let you play with your overall look without going overboard.”

Expect more from Cole Haan in the next few months as it transitions its  Fall 2013 collection with its Winter 2013 styles.

(Visit Cole Haan at the ground floor of the Rockwell Power Plant Mall, Glorietta 4, third level

of the Shangri-La Plaza

and at the second floor

of the SM Mall of Asia.)