Muted metals, reptilian textures and airbrushed patterns amp up menswear classics

MANILA, Philippines - My first thought was, “I would totally wear those shorts.” Was I at the wrong show? A pair of flouncy black shorts with petal cutouts from Simon Ariel Vasquez’s collection breezed down the runway, and they happened to be attached to a male model in red underwear. They were reminiscent of runners’ shorts –– light, lots of legroom and really short. One day a fabulous triathlete would don them, and could make the most photographed finish of all time. But for now, the shorts (and that red spectacle barely hidden beneath the cutouts) were content being a star at the menswear holiday 2012 show.

Holiday 2012 for menswear confronted convention with bold patterns, overlapping textures, and other sartorial surprises. Some did it with allusions to androgyny, as with Frederick Policarpio’s snug man-leggings in true cerulean paired with a boxier suit that’s cropped in the front –– a mullet suit, if you will –– that conveniently screens the backside. Two-toned oxfords and a gold bowtie finish the look.

Color splash

Not everything was in black or neutral, as Dodjie Batu mixed blue checks with brown tartan and tweed. Herbert Custodio’s pixelated showstopper of a jacket was literally a mosaic of color. Two looks from Edgar Buyan, ensembles in yellow and pink, were among the highlights of his collection. Finally, Ulysees King tied in his very urban, very wearable collection with airbrushed suits and cosmic laminated denim.

Heady metals

Metallic fabrics, stripped down to a masculine matte, stood out against the parade of neutrals. Drei Soriano makes the idea of rocking leather in the tropics not so far-fetched by cutting it up –– no chunky leather jackets and tacky pants here. Muted blacks and grays were accented with black and matte gold denim, and vise versa, creating an interesting play on texture and sheen.

Ronan Opina’s best pieces were also in head-to-toe metal, subdued and made intricate by the faint embossing of a croc-skin pattern, like that copper on copper jacket-and-pants number, or that impeccably tailored gold suit. The texture just begs to be touched –– it’s like spotting a gorgeous handbag that you just want to smell and feel, but on a man. (Surprise, surprise.)

Urban warrior

Man-platforms by Joco Comendador may have been the highlight of Zxander Tan’s show, but that was about as girly as it got. Definitely in fighting form, Tan rolled out an army of hooded vests, voluminous pants, and textured jackets. His take on camouflage? Metallic reptile prints. The collection read streetfighter-goes-clubbing, or, in the case of the final look, Lannister-goes-to-Opus.

Jinggo Inoncillio’s military-inspired palette and utilitarian cool makes it one of the most wearable collections in the bunch. Inoncillo adds interest to jackets with leather trim, and re-acquaints the modern man with the straight-cut –– roomy trousers tucked into boots that don’t have glitter, spikes or heels.

The number of “I would wear that” moments somehow points us to where menswear is headed in the next months –– down an inspiring route where clothes are an expression of the person, not of gender, and where men can wear leggings and straight-cut pants in one season, platforms and boots in one go.