Rhett Eala: Art-infused tailoring

MANILA, Philippines - We’ve all known Rhett Eala for his mastery of ready-to-wear for Collezione C2 and Due, but not a lot of people know about his passion for painting. His gala two years ago showcased some of his hand-painted pieces, but this will be the first time we’ve seen his strokes for a complete menswear collection. Admittedly inspired by the painterly mess in terms of personal style of his favorite artists, he took the rawness and disorder of paint splotches, dry brush strokes, and incidental splays of color to achieve a tailored mess. Eala is not one to let go of his roots as he still kept to his trademark cuts, but had added a dimension of embellishment via a seemingly organic splay of sequins, metal and copper bits, plastics, and large jewel pieces. Our favorite bit? The skirts, of course! One was interpreted with an embellished pullover over a knee-length flat front skirt (with a plaid back) and subtly accessorized with a hat, and the other was a more formal coat-skirt combination that has thrived in cities like Tokyo.