Philippine Fashion Week Review: Head-to-toe leather meets ladylike ensembles

MANILA, Philippines - There was a definite tension between tough leather pieces and soft, flowy creations for this set of designers. Arnold Galang and Jerome Salaya Ang exhibited collections that are sure to be snapped up by It girls on the more daring side. On the other hand, Philipp Tampus and Renee Salud took the more classic routes, while featuring unexpected details.

Arnold Galang has been punked — as in the dark, garage rock subculture that arose in the ‘70s and had an affinity for silver studs, leather and spiky mohawks. All elements seemed to have made their way into his current collection, sans the vertiginous hairdos and, curiously, actual punk rock — the show was accompanied by acoustic crooners Takeoff. Musical anachronisms aside, it’s definitely a (dark) side of the designer that we aren’t accustomed to seeing. “My inspiration came from the aggressiveness of the young generation to experiment and adventure into anything new and exciting and get away with it. It is an expression of their inner self. It is fierce but not dangerous, dark but not sinister, and stiff but not lifeless,” the designer explains. Accessories played a big role in completing the looks: studded collars, spiky headbands and collars, and intriguingly, studded leather pouches fastened to hips with leather string. A punk take on fanny packs, perhaps? Nearly the entire collection was in faux leather with key pieces like sexy/tough studded trench coats, skin-baring cutout skirts, and see-through tailored shirts tucked into long, slim pencil skirts. Some of the longer, fitted skirts and dresses were a little difficult for models to move in, with some trying their best to catwalk in baby steps, but perhaps constriction is part of that whole S&M thing.

For spring/summer 2013, it’s no surprise that Jerome Salaya Ang named his collection “Persephone’s Kiss,” after the Greek goddess of spring and vegetation. However, keeping in mind that Persephone was abducted by Hades, there is a dark undercurrent that runs through the collection. Light, billowy miniskirts peek out from under heavy, exoskeleton-like cutout tops. Cocktail dresses featured alien-like exaggerations of shoulders and hips, reminiscent of the silhouettes in Alexander McQueen’s last spring/summer 2010 collection. Micro-mini dresses feature webbed patent pleather that hug the body snugly — so short and tight that flashes of frontal panty appear? An homage to Hollywood starlets who insist on super-short hemlines, maybe? Also on the runway were light, distressed party dresses that appeared like fragile, beautiful things that have been to hell and back — after a long night of partying, it’s what most of us look like anyway.

Inspired by the image of a painting on canvas, Philipp Tampus’ current collection confirms his love for all things light, sheer and lacy. The entire line seems to bring back that innerwear-as-outerwear trend, especially with the light tones in beige, white and pastel shades. Lace is paired with tulle to create flowy and sheer hourglass silhouettes. Though gauzy floor-length gowns comprised most of the collection, Philipp’s talent truly emerges in the way he constructs acrylic cutouts in order to create some unexpected shapes — embellishments that take the place of the usual, predictable heavy beading These intricate details make a statement without seeming desperate for attention. It would be interesting to see in which social functions these dresses will pop up in, along with how the wearer managed to get into the car on the way there.

Returning to Philippine Fashion Week after a two-year hiatus, Renee Salud proved that when it comes to mastery of construction and craftsmanship, other, less-seasoned designers have a ways to go. While most designers who showed this season maxed out on red hues for their holiday collections, Mama Renee kicked the rouge into high gear after being inspired by the fiery, vibrant country of Spain. Opening with white, off-white and nude, he sent out a series of heavily beaded floor-length skirts with slouchy, relaxed shirts tucked into them (as opposed to the crisp ones favored by Carolina Herrera) before transitioning into delicately patterned dresses. Once again, we see the cutout trend seen among other designers, but here, there is a little more intricacy and detail. As he moves into his collection of red cocktail numbers, which also feature the same intricate cutout pattern, Ford supermodel Danica Magpantay emerges in a glorious red taffeta cloak, flitting about the stage before unveiling a heavily-beaded, flapper-style cocktail dress beneath. Just as we thought we hit the closing look, an assembly of women emerge dressed in bouffant skirts with ruffles, sparkle organza, and the same elegantly slouchy blouses seen earlier, all in red, red, red. They circled the runway in a kind of dance as a Spanish guitar played, while spectators let out audible gasps. Yes, after decades in the industry, Renee Salud still knows how to elicit gasps.