After a hiatus spanning several years, Michelle is back, debuting a collection of bags she created for Metrobank’s Femme Visa Card, a credit card for women only. Originally known for her pretty, almost otherworldly dresses, Michelle returned to her first love – bags. With parents who paid almost slavish attention to sophisticated accessories, she grew up surrounded by understated, sophisticated style, the kind that announces itself subtly through quiet, luxurious details. "Both my parents are pretty stylish," Michelle said. "They influenced me a lot."
It was in 1996 when she began designing. A neighbor asked her to design her wedding dress. One order soon spiraled into an atelier with affluent teenagers dropping by to order prom gowns. With a background in interior design, along with a one-year degree from a fashion school in Los Angeles, Michelle’s sophisticated style soon became a hit, garnering her clients of all ages. She went to Central Saint Martins in 1999 to continue her studies, this time with more of a focus on bags. She began Estilo, a store based in Power Plant, with several partners, selling bags made of wrought iron, many in leather, and some in exotic skins. The store closed and sometime in 2001, Michelle went on a break.
Despite her claim of nervousness, it’s clear that Michelle Sison is back in the fashion scene. Her return to the creative fold was spurred by famed hair stylist Henri Calayag, a close friend of Michelle’s whom she refers to as Mother Henri. "He’s my creative trigger," she says.
It was a shoot for Metro in Palawan that got Michelle started. Soon, she was creating again, making bags inspired by elements as disparate as Erte, a Russian-born artist with a penchant for extravagant costumes and stage sets, and the terno, the butterfly-sleeved dress Imelda is so fond of wearing.
Time away from the fashion fold didn’t hinder Michelle’s design process. "Even though I wasn’t designing anything, I was always sketching." Ideas flowed and soon a line of bags was developed.
It was three months ago when she officially returned. Today, a slew of bags sits in her office, ranging from casual but elegant shoulder bags to hipper styles which include, of all things, a mod-inspired mailbag.
"I’m much more adventurous now," she says. The results clearly attest to that, as hardly any of the bags are distinctly influenced by any trend. "I’ve never been one to follow tren ds too closely," Michelle says, adding, "I pay attention to them, but my style has always been slightly skewed. The end result always has a twist."
Her gold string bag, made of apsara beads, is a testament to her unusual design philosophy. Inspired by the ’40s – "which were so flirty," she adds – the bag pays homage to the loose style of the flapper dress, but with a spangly, ’80s twist. The beads alternately drape against the pouch and hang loosely, creating a swishy movement that gives it loads of character.
A ’60s-inspired mailbag, a twist on the generic rectangular bag, comes in a stylish round shape. Encased in patent leather, the black round leather bag is piped in brown leather and accompanied by a brown leather strap. "Most body bags are utilitarian," she says, referring to their spare shape. The singular design makes for a distinctive bag that needs no embellishment.
A designer who appreciates color – she counts Georgia O’Keeffe as one of her favorite artists – Michelle isn’t afraid to mix unusual elements. A bag inspired by the terno is wrapped in heavy, gold-embroidered fabric and embellished with large bows in varying ribbon styles. The butterfly sleeves reveal themselves in the mini fur tufts that appear at the bottom of the bag’s straps, equally ethereal in its snow-white purity and absurd in contrast against the brocade material. Eclectic in style, it would seem perfectly in place at the opera with a formal dress or at some club with jeans and heels.
It takes courage to create a bag that, to some people, seems inspired by Elmo in a granny suit. But, for many, it’s a breath of fresh air.
The most conventional things inspire Michelle, but the results are decidedly unconventional. "These days, I do mixed media. I’ll pair printed fabric with leather. I’ll even have the leather embellished. I just mix it all up."
Her most wearable piece, aside from a series of clutches made of croc-stamped leather and patent leather, is called Helena, a bag fashioned from a leather-strapped case with changeable pouches. The pouches come in several colors, wine, green, and even camouflage. "It’s a novelty for people to get more than just one bag." A sequel to the wrought-iron cased bags she sold at Estilo, the bags represent a maturity in form and function. Whereas Michelle originally sold the bags in a smaller scale, only big enough to fit a lipstick, some change and car keys, her current collection now comes in larger proportions. Practicality, as any seasoned designer knows, must always have a say in the final design.
"I guess people have been telling me to make my bags bigger," Michelle admits wryly. "It’s only now that I finally listened."
Femme Visa Card is accepted in over 42 million establishments worldwide.