Friday, February 22, 2008 Mercy-go-round By Clint Holton P. Potestas
A NEW fashion “acrobat” arrives with a splash. Like the merry-go-round, her inspiration has no beginning and no end. And she’s unafraid to toss it up in mid-air.
At 20, designer Mercy Fabroa constantly digs for her personal style. “Inspiration comes from nowhere. When it starts, it surely overflows. I am a person who’s not afraid to be different; so is my fashion. I am very flexible with whatever style.” Sky’s the limit—taking every chance to be bold.
Her recent collection shows a meticulous execution of fabric layout. Thus, it reminds us of the “acrobatic” (from the words of Vogue chief Anna Wintour) clothes that John Galliano featured at the New York Fashion Week.
The idea of converging old and new styles sets a theme to create a preppy mood toward gloves and fishnets, suspenders and wide collars. From it, Mercy hopes to relive the taste of Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn.
The details, she explains: “I used a knee-length, A-line cut for my women’s collection. I used the mermaid cut and styled it with a pleated tube with tulle at the edge… lots of embellishments matched with hats.”
The flowing texture of chiffon entreats the distinction between classic and modern; the satin, however, solidifies.
Say no to flare pants, boys. Skinny jeans are suggested for the men. Mercy adds spunk by utilizing checkered and stripe prints. And to achieve that vintage theme, tweed fabric must be present.
The challenge? Designing men’s line that retains masculinity, yet, experiments on different fabrics, materials, cut, and color (tough guys wear pink, anyway). But she accepts a truce: “I am very much open to learn and to design men’s line. In fact, I take it as a challenge considering I’m a female designer.”
Barbie was her first client. Wearing blanket remnants, she had consistent takes on trends, season by season. “When I was young, I had this big interest in fashion. My mother scolded me because I cut a portion of my blanket and made (it) into a dress for my Barbie doll,” says fashion designer Mercy. “I even made my own school bag.”
Mercy also admires the fashion ingenuity of Arcy ,Gayatin and Joy Bernaldez, two of the few female designers in Cebu.
