Friday, June 06, 2008 Block Section By Clint Holton P. Potestas
SCHOOLS might be in living colors this June. But fashion czars and czarinas are up to something surprising (and risky): bold graphics in neon shades.
With maneuvers in eclectic, bright colors, fashion designer Kate Torralba’s latest collection suggests a daring take on both resort and casual wears. From our fashion eyes, function is the highlight.
Color blocking garnered the most nods from wardrobe mavens. This technique applies when two or more colors are combined in patterns or in graphic design.
“I really like to put things together. I am a happy ‘maximalist.’ I like accessorizing an outfit,” Torralba says. KT is the label of her clothing line.
“Well, I can’t pretend someone I am not. I can’t pretend I am a minimalist. Maybe, if I do muted tones, I would make up for it in texture. Perhaps I’d use different fabrics, add new embellishments. There’d always be that Kate Torralba touch that is unmistakable — if there’s an absence of color.”
Live! declares: Wear KT on the first day of classes and onwards.
Why?
Sitting with fashion designers and beauty experts, we found the basic elements of style (well, at least in this tropical country) during Torralba’s fashion show in Ayala Center Cebu: ingenuity, originality, and comfort.
One of the spectators was fashion designer Humberto Villegas. He described: “It was so Kate: colorful, fun, and feminine.”
Bring back the old. Torralba seems not to mind the trends. She utilizes several silhouettes from previous and current trends: the bubble, the floor length, and the strapless.
For cover-ups, she dinged on ponchos, a garment made from a rectangle of cloth with a slit in the middle for the head.
Of shapes: the key details of each piece are graphics and appliqués. They function as décor to some simple cuts.
Embellishments also include semi-precious stones.
“Dreary. Neutral. Subdued. Achromatic. These are the words you won’t need when you’re around this carefree sprite,” describes Gabby Libarios, lifestyle writer of the Manila Standard Today.
TV personality Kris Aquino, who admits to be a fan of Torralba’s designs, narrated how she first met the designer.
”I found Kate Torralba through Lucy Torres-Gomez. I sent Kate my measurements. Three weeks after, she delivered my first six tops. It was a case of love at first sight. Kate is such a fabulous find!”
“What I love about her is that she knows women,” Aquino continued.
But like any other fashionista, there are times when this Cebuana designer opts for darker tones, despite her devotion for pastel colors.
“Maybe I am getting older,” Torralba explains. “In a way, my taste for clothes has evolved.
“But I won’t say goodbye to my whimsical look. There are just days when I like wearing black, like my Issey Miyake top that I love so much. I just pair it with a skirt and then put on some accessories — that’s it.”
