Text by: Clint Holton P. Potestas
Fotos by: Arni Aclao
If she’s not giving birth to beautiful ideas, Arcy Gayatin is breathing life into a piece of fabric with one maneuver of her hand—the resulting work, almost seamless to the eye. And it would not be a surprise if, again, she donates life to Greek statues.
Weeks before Valentine’s Day, few of her latest designs were displayed in her atelier on Juana Osmeña St. But really, nothing fanciful was jostling around. Just some of Arcy’s unforgettable craftsmanship: red jersey numbers with drapes that appeared to be free from sewing bites.
“For me, draping is the best technique to give life to fabric. It allows the materi
al to fall easily and naturally,” she explained.
“It is a silhouette that simply skims the body, employing a flowing line.”
Considering the form of most women, she contoured meters of jersey to swathe the body from the neckline to the hem. She also kept the draping minimal on the front to yield to a sophisticated play of fabric on the back.
Arcy imployed red in the collection, offering it to anyone who wants to imprint a fashion statement without going over-the-top.
“Gen
erally, red is flattering on all skin tones. And red is a statement in itself. I don’t see anything wrong with wearing red on Valentine’s Day.”
“It depends on where you are spending your Valentine’s: a resort wear for beach dates, a cocktail-length dress for dinner,” she suggested.
Then in between, an element of myth can intervene.
“The collection was inspired by Greek statues.” Or say, touched by the nine muses.
