Jersey dreams and athletic schemes
MANILA, Philippines - There was something for everybody at the Ideal Vision collections, featuring Eric Delos Santos, Raoul Ramirez, Roland Lirio and Vania Romoff. From geometic prints fashioned into sporty/futuristic silhouettes to elegant eveningwear inspired by spezzatura, Italian for sartorial nonchalance, the show was marked by the highly distinct visions of the featured designers.
Eric Delos Santos sure knows how to send out a red carpet number, but of the quietly elegant kind. While some designers prefer to come up with frocks that are not-for-the-faint-of-heart, the women that Eric designs for know how to command attention without resorting to show-stoppers. The highlight of his current collection consisted of evening gowns that were covered in cutout tulle that was fully-beaded, which appeared like metallic brocade fabric. In order to balance the ornateness of the material, he kept the lines of the gowns clean and unfussy, yet sexy with a hint of leg. High glamour came in the form of fluid jewel-toned dresses in light silk while his dresses and jumpsuits in crepe jersey, which feature cascades of handmade flowers that accent shoulders and waists, are perfect for sitting pretty by the pool.
Gone were Raoul Ramirez’s unabashedly glamorous evening gowns, which made their appearance last season. This time, the designer went all-out with a resort collection. Think billowy, translucent caftans, body suits, and elaborate cutout bikini coverups in peach, pink and aqua. Raoul also played around with printed fabrics that also had the same blousy, billowy effect: Santorini-inspired patterns in cerulean blue and white, along with camo prints that had touches of neon green. Towards the end, we begin to see hints of the last collection’s luxe look manifest itself: gold maillots, anybody? If Raoul’s show is any indication of what to expect this summer, the one-piece suit is back in a major way. His most versatile pieces, though, are definitely his throw-on kimonos. From ladylike in structured pastels to loose, sexy and metallic, they make unexpected evening coats or fancy swimsuit coverups — just please don’t get chlorine on them.
The mood was fun, quirky and colorful at Roland Lirio’s show. He demonstrated a fondness for geometric prints, along with futuristic silhouettes with an athletic vibe that would’ve made Judy Jetson go bonkers. Again, we see the one-piece swimsuit, but cute cocktail dresses with unexpected details, like cutout patterns, peplums, and even a flash of panty, dominated. Though easily worn by young fashion darlings, it takes an especially risky, modern woman to pull of the collection’s floor-length dresses. The extra length make them a little too much for cocktail events, yet the bright, busy patterns and sporty details will stick out in a sea of black shimmering evening gowns. But if you’re the type of woman who can straddle the delicate dictates of dress codes and get away with it, by all means do. Also showcased were some interesting summer accessories, like see-through plastic visors and clunky sandals that offer absolutely no sun protection, but are cute anyway. Form doesn’t always have to follow function, after all.
There are only so many ways you can make a jersey dress. The heavy, fluid fabric is easy to construct glamorous garments with and need little embellishment, yet Vania Romoff took risks with her line of silk jersey gowns. As the young designer has demonstrated ever since she broke into the industry, she has a way of evoking elegance and sophistication beyond her mid-twenties. It’s no surprise, considering she hails from a Cebuano clan of couturiers. Known for her pretty, minimalist dresses — which were still present in this collection in rose, champagne and midnight blue silk gazaar — Vania also experimented with heavier fabrics and tricky draping. The spirit of Carolina Herrera was very much alive in the opening numbers with crisp shirts tucked into long Italian taffeta evening skirts. Inspired by the Italian attitude of spezzatura, which means “a certain nonchalance, so as to conceal all art and make whatever one does or says appear to be without effort and almost without any thought about it,” the Vania Romoff woman never needs to try too hard to land on best-dressed lists.
