Frederick Peralta's princess pride
MANILA, Philippines - Maybe it was just because Sex and the City 2 was showing, but there was a touch of Dubai glam to the women’s clothing in Frederick Peralta’s holiday collection at Fashion Week. First they came out in svelte black hooded dresses lined in bright primary colors, then, turning on the disco, they emerged in increasingly sparkly tunics, the most eye-catching of which was a copper hooded dress that dazzled with light-refracting texture.
Other quirky cocktail dresses had upturned ruffles, tiered skirts and a generous gathering of rosettes. Shirred and ruched fabric was a prevalent theme, which can look bulky but was executed well on stately column dresses cinched at the waist. Next came the power puff princesses in ball gowns with dip-dyed tulle skirts and corseted bodices, looking like jewel-box ballerinas or giant fruit drops in lemon, strawberry, grape and lime. Huge ornate neckpieces crowned their cleavage, and nothing says “holiday” more than extravagant costume jewelry that are more breastplates than bibs.
The men similarly had an array of snappy looks, from crisp white suits to jacquard blazers and rich silk and velvet tuxedos. Peralta kept things interesting and varied by having mini-collections within the entire 60-piece suite, although it ended on a rather lugubrious note, with the finale being a massive black A-line shift with a long train that dragged its hedge of black rosettes on the floor. Wilma Doesn’t, in her plumed headdress, looked like she was trudging to some dark sacrifice in this gothic communion dress. It had drama, to say the least.
