The last days of disco

Disco ain’t dead. Just ask Louis Claparols, the designer who made the jump from the world of Paul Smith retailing to lone star designer, who was so mad for a disco ball being raffled off at hotspot Government that he convinced the announcer to just give it to him. "No one was claiming it anyway," he says drolly. It was Madonna night and the people at la diva’s record company were throwing a bash to celebrate the launch of her first successful single since, well, before that god-awful rap song. Everyone, gay and straight, were dressed in their favorite Madonna heyday costumes – which means anything from her Like A Virgin tattered dresses and lace gloves to her Evita suits to her Don’t Tell Me cowboy outfits.

When her latest single Hung Up dropped, featuring the diva herself in skintight leotards dancing energetically to what would be a bonafide hit, the world was suddenly caught up in disco fever. Silver gloves, spandex and all. In the wake of Hung Up’s release, people everywhere were glad to see that their say-it-like-it-is, Kabbalah-lovin’, British-accented diva was back – particularly the gay community which worships at her pedicured feet.

"I was inspired by Madonna’s new album, Confessions on a Dance Floor," says Louis, "which had a kind of retro-disco appeal." Bolstered by the nostalgic ambiance (remembrances of a misspent youth, wasted on the floor after a particularly drunken night out, remain fondly in the memories of people old enough to remember the ‘80s) of an album focused on recreating the trick-happy days of the discotheque era, Louis felt a return to glamour was necessary. Ruched hems, draped goddess-inspired silhouettes and flyaway hair (made famous by Taxi veteran Mary Lou Henner) were the order of the day. But Louis brings it up a notch by skipping the tried-and-tested disco formulas and updating it with sleek fabric embedded with glitter that, from afar, resemble a starry sky from the perspective of a tripped-out pot smoker.

Louis, who classifies his current look as "more feminine, less theatrical," marries the dance-friendly aesthetic with a slightly girly take. The result? Dresses in mauve and purple that skim the body and finish with a jaunty asymmetrical hem, the bodice embellished with cutout fabric in complementary colors. A swirly mishmash effect is achieved through textured fabric that gives the disco gear some much-needed depth. Panty sets paired with ripped striped sweaters, reminiscent of Lynda Carter’s famed sexy attire – sans lasso – take the collection on a stroll down memory lane.

"I’ve enjoyed working with softer fabrics lately," Louis says. "I’m more into jersey now and I’ve been experimenting with puzzle-like cutout details at the moment." More wearable pieces, like his cute boleros, in the same trippy glitter fabric, and funky embellished cropped jeans, add a younger element to a collection that to many people might seem like just another interpretation of an era that romanticized the excessive (read: drug) habits of celebrities now gone from today’s tabloid radar.

But Louis’ purpose isn’t to simply revisit a decade long gone but to inject some humor into an industry obsessed with looking perfect. "I just want to have some fun," he says blithely. Spoken like a true child of disco.

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For an appointment with the designer, call 0927-5978816 or e-mail louisclaparols@yahoo.com. Visit www.picturetrail.com/louisclaparols to view items from his shop, Marni’s Room. Louis Claparol’s ready-to-wear designs are available at Fibre, Jupiter St., Makati (tel. 899-1194).