From avian migration to Jay-Z: Inspiration translates on the Manila Fashion Festival runway

Truth be told, fashion shows faze me. The show, often on the sidelines than on the runway, can be a tiring spectacle of selfies and self-promotion from the chic to the carnivalesque. Yet somehow, Manila Fashion Festival adopts a friendlier, less rigid vibe, maybe because Anna Wintour herself is starting to lighten up (the poker face is still in style, but scowling is so last season), or maybe because we’ve all come to an unspoken agreement that we’re all there for one thing: the clothes.

Manila Fashion Festival Fall/Winter 2015, which was organized by Art Personas, was held from Mar. 18 to 21 at the Green Sun building. Day One presented the designs of Happy Andrada, Jerome Salaya Ang, John Herrera, Jot Losa, Renan Pacson and YAY. Day Two was more for evening wear with Anthony Ramirez, Charina Sarte, Chris Diaz, Michael Leyva, Odelon Simpao and Veejay Floresca. Day Three designers delivered creative shows, with Cheetah Rivera, Mark Bumgarner, Pablo Cabahug, Art Personas in-house brand Arin, and Rhett Eala, who celebrated his 20th year in the business. The afternoon of Day Four was all about young designers Banggo Niu, Bea Samson, Esme Palaganas and Tony Evan. Jaz Cerezo, Mark Tamayo, Vania Romoff and Ziggy Savella closed MFF with the evening show.

In stark contrast to fall/winter tradition, many of the collections were on the side of fun. An abundance of bows made an appearance. Floor-skimming dresses in prints of all kinds were popular. Themes in the spirit of the Man Repeller — wide-leg pants, sleepwear as daywear, shapeless shifts — alternated with dreamy and ultra-feminine pieces. Here are some highlights:

Rhett Eala

Rhett Eala’s “Post-Punk Poet” is a fusion of ethnic and athletic shapes that celebrates the designer’s 20th year in fashion. His menswear features drop-crotch shorts, loose fringe, and an overall cozy feel — inspired by hip-hop icon Jay-Z. Still, his feminine pieces are the scene-stealers: the force in his prints is strong. He closes the show with two black-and-white numbers, one short and one long, printed with painterly strokes of black. Are they flowers? Are they feathers? They’re not post-punk, but there’s something poetic about having them close the show.

Vania Romoff

Floor-length lace, layered full skirts, muted florals, those trademark sleeves — when it comes to use of fabric and strategic sexiness, Vania Romoff gets it. Her “Secret Garden” collection has the feel of a different time, when whites are romantic and proper is sexy. The all-neutral collection is punctuated with a red dress, cut low in the front. I heard someone comment that they are clothes for the beach when you have no plans to go swimming, or in general, when you’re too chic to sweat.

Happy Andrada

With Japanese and Taiwanese manufacturers in the audience, I was hoping for an ethnic perspective that was less East Asian and more, um, exotic. Filipiniana-inspired modern clothes have bombed big time in the past (hello, SONA), but not in the case of Happy Andrada, who veered from the traditional butterfly-sleeved frock and instead drew inspiration from the tribes of the north. Her collection, “Ninuno,” featured some interesting pieces — a red dress gathered in the front, a cropped top with tribal embellishments, a black jumper with patchwork detail. The fascinators are distracting, but the effort to depart from costume-y is appreciated.

Esme Palaganas

Blogger and designer Esme Palaganas delivered a refreshing collection free of clutter and diversion. The eye goes straight to the clothes — unfussy pieces in sober (but not somber) hues of red, blue and green. It’s easy to see her as an underdog amid the flamboyant, but her point of view carries a confidence that makes the collection at once unintimidating and strong. The collection was a gentle reminder that “basic” isn’t always a bad thing — they’re the pieces you come back to every day.

Ziggy Savella

Perhaps one of the most cohesive collections from the roster, Ziggy Savella’s loungewear-inspired pieces are what one might wear on those so-called cuddle-weather days — but individually, his separates make interesting, even important additions to a wardrobe. He mixes flora and polka dots on tempered reds and dark blues, drapes a wrap dress over a pajama blouse, and puts a marsala poncho to good use. As a side note, the choice of music is commendable as well: thank you for having a sense of humor.

Cheetah Rivera

A black ball gown comes out. Colorful embroidered birds are all over it. The crowd goes wild, at least on the inside, their excitement only betrayed as their phones snap away. The inspiration, bird migration, is translated literally on Cheetah Rivera’s pieces — pieces in solid yellow, salmon and nude, and night-sky black each come with their own flock of birds, all quirky-beautiful and wearable. See? Animal print is not dead.

Banggo Niu

Varsity-girl-meets-prom-queen — Banggo Niu’s show was a high-energy high school cafeteria mash-up of sporty neoprene, leather florets, Kusama-esque polka dots and incidents of beading. This display of range is interpreted even more literally, when models trade vests before the audience. He calls his collection “Je Veux te Voir” and tackles all levels of being seen, which makes the see-through/peek-a-boo pieces pretty witty.