Building new nests
Two of my oldest and dearest friends are up to something new.
Fashion designer Rhett Eala and Mr. Social Media and everything-else-in-between Tim Yap have collaborated on a shoot to introduce Nest. Nest is a new concept store run by retail prince Anton Barretto (I still miss Pineapple to this day) that carries Rhett Eala’s one-of-a-kind RTWcollection.
Although Rhett carries the torch for the creative vision of Plains & Prints, Nest allows him to still exercise his couture skills. “It’s the first time I’ll be doing a high-end men’s line. I’ve always been known as a womenswear designer. However, I like the challenge of designing clothing for special occasions for men,” Rhett shares. “The store will also carry one-of-a-kind ladies’ dresses that are available from the rack or through special order.”
What can one expect upon visiting the Nest? “The clothes are signature Rhett designs with new twists. For men we do sweatshirts embellished with matte sequins and wood beads of jackets with metal studs or antique gold disks or painted cotton chambray pants. It’s not for the shy guy. I incorporate my art into the clothes. I also have strapless dresses in canvas with abstract impressions painted by me. I’ve always been a frustrated artist and I guess this is my way of expressing myself,” Rhett opines.
Tim Yap, he of one million-plus Twitter followers, is now trying to deliver the deft hand of social media to the traditional format from where he started. “I have been producing shoots for the longest time but this is actually the first fashion editorial that I have shot.” Tim adds, “I used Instagram which makes it interesting because this is the new way I share my photos. It’s snapped and shared within the moment. Instagram is a great way to express yourself through your interests. It just so happens people caught in their best light is what interests me the most. You can see my account as my newest society page.”
Tim shoots the Instagram editorial ironically without using too many of its famous filters. “Too many filters makes the photos look fake and dated. I still like working with natural light,” Tim confesses. He shoots his good friends Phoemela Baranda and Daniel Matsunaga in Rhett’s first collection for Nest in the store itself. “I feel good in Rhett’s clothes. Rhett’s only embellishments are his clothes. Other than that he’s a quiet and down-to-earth person who just keeps churning out all these treasures.” Tim shares, “Everyone knows Rhett has a Midas touch.”
As for the residing king of Nest, he hints of many golden eggs to come. “I love my craft. So as long as I have passion for what I do, I will continue working and challenging myself. I’ve been in fashion for a good 20 years but I feel that I still have so much to learn. I learn from my mistakes and I always strive to do better the next chance I get.”
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Nest is located at 20 Jupiter St., Bel-Air 4, Makati.
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From the lenses of @officialtimyap: You can like, comment or add your own captions by finding me through your instagram account along with @rhett3888 and @celinerlopez.
