The whimsical and the wearable in the collections of Eric de los Santos, Jerome Salaya Ang and Sassa Jimenez

Jerome Salaya Ang

MANILA, Philippines - Ang has been known for his construction, being able to make even heavy fabrics defy gravity. This collection, which had a Tim Burton-esque feel, with models wearing prosthetics on their faces (à la Planet of the Apes) and hairpieces reminiscent of the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland were at first distracting in their studied “ugliness.” The clothes, though — a sea of muted olives, blacks, golds and grays — looked like they had been chiseled and carved. It seemed a take on the late Alexander McQueen. A favorite was a dress that gave the optical illusion of a shrug/cape billowing behind it only to find out it was made from one piece. Even jumpsuits came together in a shredded, put-together fashion, and layers of fabric that still looked wistful and light added a femininity even to the darker, more structured pieces. Overall, Ang worked hard to put the collection together and it showed in the detail and construction.

Eric de los Santos

Orientalia regalia: Asian influences and jewel tones liven up Eric de los Santos catwalk.

Starting off with a pantsuit would not have been my first choice even if worn by supermodel señora Marina Benipayo. De los Santos has a collection mostly in jewel tones and separates with influences of Orientalia. Prints and patterns with hints of Asian decorative items were found on skirts, jackets, pants. Considering the patterns chosen, I found the obi belts on some to be a bit much; with so much going on it made them look heavy and stiff.  A different pattern or perhaps a custom-made pattern would have been a bolder, more original choice. The trousers, due to the stiffness of the material used were probably the best “fit” overall. The fabric seemed to move and ripple as each model strode forward, legs encased in a sea of yellow, whites, greens and pinks.  The jewel tones of some of the dresses were a delight to look at, especially when combined with a flapper-fringe design that gave additional movement and fluidity to the ensemble

Sassa Jimenez

Bubble pop: Bright colors and bubble skirts were the highlights of Sassa Jimenez’s collections.

Followers of Jimenez’s romantic, feminine creations will not be disappointed with her holiday collection. Soft fabrics in bright colors included very wearable mumu-type dresses and shorter, wrap-type dresses that are very figure flattering. Perhaps the highlight of the collection was a series of skirts in an “extreme” bubble formation, almost resembling that of a mushroom. Although I can appreciate the design, this seemed to take the attention away from the rest of the pieces she produced and confused me somewhat as to the direction of the collection as a whole. The clunky shoes worn by the models were also a point of “disconnect,” taking away from the airy feel of some of the longer creations.