Manila, Philippines - It is easy to conjure images of people decked in straight-laced blazers, pantsuits and pencil skirts when the term “boardroom dressing” comes to mind. But Memo, the country’s authority on fashionable contemporary work wear, deviates from this longstanding stereotype and offers a rack-relevant, on-trend approach to business dressing.
Lia Aranillo-Go, brand manager for Memo, comments, “Power-dressing was the catchphrase for a good number of years, and its focus was on authoritative suits and blazers which gave off a formal mien and a stiff silhouette. In light of the changes in the lifestyle needs of today’s working professionals, the paradigm has shifted and ushered in a new era of corporate chic.”
And it is this shift, says Go, that drives Memo’s work wear offerings for men and women. “Our aesthetic takes its cues from a combination of essential elements: work-life balance, mobility, comfort and current trends,” she shares. So what exactly does a Memo ensemble provide? “The best of both worlds, spot-on style, accessibility and easy wearability, regardless of season,” she reveals. “We recognize the importance and benefit of mix-and-match business basics, given the present fast-paced working cultures Filipinos thrive in. We’ve ensured that our designs function as reliable investment pieces, infused and updated with du jour sartorial details.”
The result is a fashion-forward amalgamation of versatile staples that smoothly transition from the boardroom to the streets. “We call it ‘contemporary work wear alternatives’,” Go explains. “In this day and age, what with hectic schedules getting in the way of time-consuming wardrobe changes, what we need is ‘flexible’ fashion-outfits that traverse one entire day and fit the upward mobility of its wearer and each urban landscape he might encounter.”
Beginning with quality fabrics, fits and finishes, Memo reinforces its fashion philosophy and works its way up the corporate style ladder with a carefully edited line of must-haves which will be unveiled at its highly anticipated fashion show dubbed Urban Chronicles at Philippine Fashion Week Holiday 2011.
The brand is also training the spotlight on Truefitt, its regular line of bottoms that encompass trademark styles and new items based on global trends. To suit the gamut of preferences and body types, Memo offers a range of fits for both genders: Straight Fit and Tailored Slim; a special offering for men, Flexi Fit (a bestseller due to its adjustable waist that guarantees comfort and ease of movement); and finally, Modern Fit, a collection that changes every so often depending on the seasonís latest cuts and styles.
Go concludes that overall, Memo strives to help young working professionals “exude style, status and success. We do this via wearable pieces that remain globally-attuned to the capriciousness of the city and the ever-changing trends of fashion seasons.”
Catch Memo’s show, Urban Chronicles at Philippine Fashion Week Holiday 2011, on May 11, 7:30 p.m. at Function Room 5 of the SMX Convention Center.