Friday, June 20, 2008 Small wonders By Clint Holton P. Potestas
SHE makes small things beautiful.
With the drastic change of fashion year after year, it was not a surprise when Italian surrealist Elsa Schiaparelli said in 1931: “Small is the new big.”
This declaration has resulted in the birth of opportunities for young designers who also draw inspiration from the smallest of things.
Jehser Yares says that the “small things” he sees around prompt most of his designs and give the stimuli to create wonderful dresses.
Understanding the role of style, he defines fashion as a part of anyone’s lifestyle and that the construction must be wearable. With this idea, he prefers the bias-cut silhouette, which means cutting in the diagonal direction of the fabric.
According to him, the bias cut allows the dress to flow along with the figure. It is also considered as one of the most forgiving contours in clothing ensemble.
In achieving the free flow of the silhouette, he suggests using charmeuse, satin, and chiffon. Organza, on the other hand, gives volume to a rather soft texture.
Colors may connote different meanings, symbols and omen to some (especially to the superstitious), but for Yares, they are boundless and could interpret another personality.
“I have personal favorites like plum, fuchsia and sea green. But in terms of designing, no, I don’t have because it could limit the design,” Yares explains.
Before penetrating the fashion industry in Cebu, he was trained in Saudi Arabia for six months. Though he gleaned the elementals of design from his fine arts degree at the University of San Carlos, his skills were enhanced at “a professional degree.”
Apart from his style influences, there are the basics he learned during his stay in Saudi: the techniques in couture draping, sewing, and detailing.
“Compared to Saudi, Cebu is very laid back. Our clients here (from my experience) are very safe—dili gyud grabe (not lavish). I think we’re two years behind. For example, big brooches are now the trend here, but they are like [very “in” for] two years na sa Saudi,” he observes.
Can something good come out of it for Cebu?
Oh, sure, there is the impeccable taste for clothing that is never disrupted by the dictates of trends and pop culture.
Yares is the resident designer of Chester Enterprises at the ground floor of SM Cebu.
