No distance left to run

How to tell a real designer from the self-proclaimed faux? It’s there, in the fall of a skirt, the fit of the sleeves, the jaunty fold of an upturned collar. From clean seams to thoughtful, new design that remains wearable without losing its edge, there are many things that make a designer great – but what makes a designer a designer is being able to translate a philosophy, a personality into fashion that people can wear without being bogged down by pretension or wash-and-wear unfriendly technology. Cookie-cutter fashion may be the norm for bargain basement-priced department stores, but for a designer charging designer prices, there’s got to be something more.

It takes a certain designer to fill a garment with attitude, from the cuff of a black biker jacket to its sexy molded ribbed back, but for Gian Romano, a small town kid done good, there’s nothing to it. "I guess I had myself in mind so much while making the men’s pieces. I would always think, ‘Would I wear this?’ whenever I designed something. I wouldn’t say I have attitude. I’m nice!" He laughs. "I guess I just look intimidating as people say, and with that intimidation comes an illusion of attitude." Even at the shoot for this cover, set in a basement garage, Gian came in fine form, dressed in loose jeans, a T-shirt of his own design, huge Dior shades, a gray scarf, colorful sneakers from London and various silver pieces strung in chains along with a fur piece attached to the side of his belt made by Noli Coronado. Attitude emanated from his every pore, from every strand of hair that fell this way and that in a bizarrely-cut hairdo that only added to the uncalculated hipster vibe of Gian Romano. And it was certainly no illusion for the audience of his debut fashion show as long-limbed models, garbed in Gian’s somber-hued jackets and deconstructed pants, strutted to the tunes of electro rock last week. Biker-inspired jackets and pants, jellyfish-inspired dresses, T-shirts done in a hounds-tooth print created by the designer himself for a distressed look, slouchy skinny trousers, and draped blouses all made an appearance at a show that had many clamoring for more. "Immediately after, people were asking me, ‘What’s next? What’re your plans? Another show?’" Gian confessed, giddy from the praise and backstage ransacking of socialites and press people grabbing dresses and jackets from racks still wet with the models’ sweat after the fashion show. "Yes, I will have another show, maybe in December, but for now, I don’t know. Even now – days after – things still haven’t sunk in."

This Central Saint Martins-trained designer from Iligan City found his calling much the same way most kids did in the early ’90s – watching MTV’s House of Style. "Todd Oldham was huge and Cindy Crawford was hosting it. I’d watch the show, see all the clothes and wish for the great fashion." Unfortunately, designer duds weren’t quite the thing in Iligan City. "I began sewing little things for myself, mainly because the clothes I wanted weren’t available." Come college, Gian made the traditional coming-of-college-age trek to Manila to study in La Salle Benilde. His course? Hotel and restaurant management. "I was young. I didn’t know what I wanted for sure, and there was this pressure to be practical," he said shrugging.

Now, after a hiatus in New York interning with a big name fashion label, Gian’s come full circle, creating a line of clothes he’s dubbed "No Wave." The menswear collection was actually his final project in Saint Martins. Inspired by the new Briton, a movement that spurs people to return to the mode of the dandy – think afternoon tea, costly chapeaus, and dressing to impress 24/7 – the clothes represent a shift in culture, from casual T-shirts and worn ill-fitting jeans to threads that make a statement. "It’s all about familiar things which are strange and new," he explained enigmatically. And somehow, it makes sense. Jackets mold to the body and give it a sense of structure, while three lines run down the back to achieve a ribbed effect – literally. "Drawings of the human anatomy also inspired me." The seams on the sleeves of some jackets followed an irregular path "to resemble veins," he added ingeniously.

While some pieces were cut out and planned, some were created instinctively. "I did some through draping," Gian said of the lovely floaty aubergine dresses he sent down the runaway. There’s a polarity that is reflected in the clothes he debuted: At once intimidating, determined and attention-seeking but also pretty, self-possessed and poised. The dress he says is jellyfish-inspired recalls the flapper dresses of the ‘20s with layers of black-edged eggplant crepe chiffon overlaid in a charming hapless manner. Another was sheared manually to expose threads in shapes that slightly resembled flowers viewed from afar. "The aubergine dresses were inspired by huge velvet drapes," he explained. Gian was fascinated by the way they hung down in folds and were draped prettily across the rod.

It’s this ability to capture detail and translate influences into something new that makes Gian one of the bright shining stars of local fashion today. "Ever since, I always wanted to come up with cuts that are interesting," he said offhandedly, "cuts that I could say were mine." With stylish pieces that make the front guards of fashion stand up and take notice, all we can do now is bask in the reflected glare of this designer’s well-deserved spotlight.

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Designer Gian Romano can be contacted at 0917-5254426, while men’s accessories designer Noli Coronado can be reached at 0917-7484515.