Very Barba

Vittorio Barba: ‘I have always liked garments with a secret’

MANILA, Philippines - It is no secret that Vittorio Barba is a subversive. This fashion designer — smart as the whip he uses for horseback riding — has a mind of his own. He never allows himself to be imprisoned by fashion rules.

Barba has always been positioned as a brand that is left of center. Barba has never been a follower of the trite and the expected. There is something quirky in every Barba design — and it is usually amusing but certainly chic.

“I have always designed out of a desire for something. I have always liked garments with a secret, “Barba explains. “So a simple sheath dress would have a draped cape and a sheer back or a hem of flowers. I am a big believer in movement. The so-called secrets change the personality of a dress when you move and turn around.”

It is no secret that a Barba design is bold in its simplicity, very cosmopolitan and very Filipino.Very Barba. — M.M.

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Vittorio Barba’s shop is located at the The Filipino Zone, second floor of Greenbelt 5 with telephone 729-9280.