A season for all that's light, bright and thin

MANILA, Philippines - To celebrate the launch of Samsung’s sleek new Notebook Series 9, which measures 0.64 inches in depth with a screen size of 13 inches, the brand tapped three designers to incorporate the gadget’s elements of light, bright and thin into their collections.

Light is right

Rhett Eala opened the show with Brapanese model Hideo Muraoka in a suit with glass panels, followed by girls in diaphanous gowns, designed to evoke his theme of lightness. “The collection was inspired by Black Swan and the ballet,” Rhett explains. “I wanted something with light fabrics that were almost transparent.” Hideo, in the glass-embellished opening number, was Vincent Cassel. “Black Swan is about drama,” says Rhett, so a little theatricality was called for. “Instead of feathers, I used lace.” Creating a vibrant pattern that mimicked the artful grace of gold filigree, he crafted Old Hollywood gowns draped in sheer tulle and organza, allowing the girls’ legs to peek through the material. “There was a bit of Galliano as well,” he says, referring to John Galliano’s recent scandalous departure from the house of Dior. “I felt a little nostalgia for that era,” he says, “since the age of out-of-this-world elegance has come to a close.”

Thin is in

“My inspiration was thinness,” says Randy Ortiz, who churned out dapper mens suits and Grecian gowns. “Since the shapes had to be thin, I worked with creating silhouettes to emphasize and draw attention to its leanness.”

Making use of matte over shimmery jersey in pewter, Randy was referencing the notebook’s lightweight material made from duralumin which is twice as strong as aluminum and normally used in advanced aircraft design. “I wanted to use this shade, particularly because it’s so elegant and timeless.”

The future looks bright

Rajo Laurel had fun putting together his collection of brights. “I asked my five-year-old niece Alexa to help me select the colors,” he says of his vivid neon pieces. Floor-length summery dresses and mens suits in basketball jersey and mesh offered a new take on sportswear.

The colors are the designer’s response to what’s happening in the world. “It’s about exuberance. It’s a reaction to everything that’s happening to me. When I’m confronted with despair, I put some sunshine on it.”

“This is probably my most colorful collection — I literally went nuts,” he says. “I needed some joy because of everything that was happening in Japan and Libya.”

His collection made a powerful statement, particularly against all the black and dark elements in Manila Pen’s ballroom. Women, even those dressed in all-black, were drooling and aaahing over his dresses. “Women are just looking for something that will make them happy,” he says. “All they want is a bit of an escape.”