Dress to thrill

Thursday, May 19, 2011

THAT approval of keeping hemlines short—well, for the longest time—is already too predictable, so the fashion designers thought of mincing the trends into something your eyes won’t believe. If not details, at least colors-combinations you less expect to splash, spat, and spin before your eyes.

While the philosophical faithful say it’s the wearer who matters, the interdependence between the owner and the clothes should reciprocate; one could never be without the other.

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Upcoming style-to-own emerged at “The Fashion Beats: Style Origin” on May 8, Sunday, at the Ayala Terraces, leading the revolutionary pieces. For instance, who would have thought that nautical prints are back when color-blocking isn’t over yet?

The show’s finale had Filippo closing the curtain with navy blue horizontal lines on a strapless dress, preceded by unusual yet pleasing combinations of orange and magenta, green and gold.

Philip Rodriguez, the brand’s designer, stood on his own strength, palpable in the painstaking two-layered weaving, drape after drape, completed by a tussled belt.

The curtain-raiser, on the other hand, took the initiative to sum it up the whole event through resort, colors, and different means of fabric treatment. Just when the audience expected to see skimpy swimwear at the opening, Speedo delivered a “more covered” ensemble, child-friendly even: a one-piece swimsuit attached to a pair of shorts with fun prints on the sleeves.

Feminine but slightly leaning into an outgoing theme was how the Bohemian chic was introduced by Accessorize and What A Girl Wants. “The collection is about tenderness, captured by soft fabrics with wallpaper prints and mattress stripes, all worked into fluid shapes,” said Peter Speliopoulos during his small showroom presentation.

Loalde’s lace collection was one of the best. Filmy peasant tops, tiered mini skirts and camisole dresses with romantic overlays projected laid-back comfort. Smart linen blazers, casual suede jeans and a great disc-studded cotton jacket fringed with shoelaces all looked as though they had enjoyed a fabulous previous life. Carefully thought out details, like rope cinches on flared-sleeve blouses and weighty ruffled collars on boho dresses, made some of the softer pieces extra-special.

To complete this easygoing wardrobe, creative director Nia Aldeguer debuted another ser of accessories line, featuring pendants and earrings.

There was something almost sinister in the cumulative effect of seeing a legion of girls advancing down a steep runway in dizzying numbers of outfits in black, brown, bronze, silver, and pale blue lace. After the first look at opaque black suiting and dresses implanted with strange, upstanding frills (with matching frilled patent cone-heeled shoes), the show shifted into full-lace gear.

At first, it came layered over buttoned-up blue shirts, which in turn went over another nude-colored stretch shirt, creating an odd, done-up, double-collar effect. Below, the unlined A-line skirts.

Anything that keeps the interest high, we’re definitely in.