Garden of Eden
You’d be hard-pressed to find a designer with a following as large and fanatic as Hindy Weber-Tantoco’s. The designer, who designs Culte Femme collections every season, debuted her first “semi-couture” show. Tantoco, wary of referring to her first collection that isn’t ready to wear as couture, pulled out all the stops for her 37-piece show at the Shangri-La lobby.
Inspired by “the life stages of a flower,” the idea first came to her while she was vacationing in Baguio with her family over New Year’s. “I saw really cool, unusual flowers on the ground that were wilted,” says Tantoco. “When I picked them up, they draped in such an interesting way.”
Tantoco opened with a floral top embellished with ruffles sewn in waves depicting flowers inspired by artist Marge Defensor Manalaysay’s sketches. Tucked into a pair of high-waist cuffed denim shorts, the ensemble set the tone for the show: playful, feminine and a touch ethereal.
While Fiona Apple’s Extraordinary Machine played in the background, models high-stepped it in a series of floor-sweeping dresses in the same floral print, followed by a ‘50s-style full skirt ensemble paired with a jewel-toned silk blouse and a blouse with a petal-edged hem.
Tantoco’s accessories, it should be noted — from the studded platform pumps to the wood appliqués on belts and bags — were made by the designer herself. She met with a woodcarver who manufactured the buckles from wood from fallen trees based on patterns she drew.
The collection, based on the life of a flower as it blooms and wilts, begins with tight, structured silhouettes to signify the shape of the bud. Fabric woven in crisscrossing patterns along the bodice of blouses made to fit the model’s body were paired with equally fitted skirts.
A tailored suit with slight blouson sleeves and a long gown, adorably accessorized with a sling and gurgling infant, in chintz were elegant.
Sporty dresses in gray and a deep blue silk jersey looked relaxed and sophisticated, buzzwords for Tantaco who was looking for an elegant ease in the fall of her clothes. The hems were darted to give the silhouette volume.
Loose, billowing floor-length frocks epitomized flowers in full bloom, while the use of silk charmeuse with burnt edges, gave the effect of wilted flora.
Surprisingly, the collection was at its weakest when the designer played the theme literally. Two dresses embellished with oversized blooms looked awkward and heavy-handed next to everything else. Pants were another issue. While Tantaco aimed for a subtle loucheness with her silhouettes — and achieved it successfully most of the time — the pants were another matter entirely. One model in a navy pair was practically swimming in hers, the pleats overwhelming her figure, the hem dragging underneath her heels, while the materials used for teal pants paired with a champagne blouse didn’t look right. The pockets underneath could be seen and it just didn’t look flattering. Otherwise, everything else seemed pitch perfect.
Tantoco’s proven, with this collection, that she’s grown into an intuitive designer, aware of what women want and need. She’s become someone with an authentic sense of style that’s completely her own. When she made her bow at the end of the show, dressed in pegged jeans, a sheer floral top with a ruffed brassiere underneath, she seemed completely at ease, a designer come into her own — in full bloom, if you will.
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