Where is the luxe?

I haven’t reviewed Philippine Fashion Week for quite a while now. After years of absence, I headed back to check out our latest attempt at making a statement and going global. This show did not fail to disappoint, save for a few collections that were worth the trip to SMX on a Friday night.

Going, going, gone

Some collections showed an effort to come up with a revolutionary vision or at least a cohesive collection but suffered due to poor execution and craftsmanship. There were several puckering at the seams from Lizanne Cua’s all-white collection and lopsided tent dresses from Ramon Favila. Old prints like the pink floral satin blouses from Julius Tarog, and dated graphic prints from Jontie Martinez made their collections look like they came from the early ’90s or even late ’80s, which was a pity since Tarog’s first pieces were quite good (his high-impact fuchsia and brown ensembles) until he sent out those awful satin blouses. Several designers seemed promising from the first few pieces they sent out, then progressively got worse after the first half.

Don’t I know you from somewhere?

In between the worst and the best, there lies the majority of this show’s designers. Their clothes weren’t offensive, but they weren’t memorable either. The maillots of Ricki Abad were nothing new, and the maxi dresses of Roel Rosal, while glamorous, just felt so last season. Joel Escober’s very ‘60s-inspired sequined collection looked good for clubbing, but could easily be found in local RTW stores. Simon Ariel Vasquez and Harley Ruedas’s black and white