EXQUISITELY-DESIGNED clothes and accessories, good eats, and a warm welcome greeted Davao’s fashionable set during the House of Laurel’s first ever Davao trunk show held recently at the Dusit Thani Residence showroom.
The House of Laurel was founded in 2000 by siblings Rajo Laurel and Venisse Laurel-Hermano. The trendy specialty boutique located in Makati City offers both couture and ready-to-wear apparel.
In a Preview magazine interview, Rajo describes his couture line as “made-to-order couture where each piece is referred to as a ‘mission’ dress designed to create a lasting impression” while he considers his off-the-rack line as “Designer Ready-to-Wear.”
A winner of several national and international awards including Fashion Asia AFMA China’s Asian Top Fashion Designer of the Year (Prêt-à-Porter Category) in 2010, Rajo was also once a judge of the TV hit show Project Runway Philippines.
During the trunk show, the House of Laurel brought their Cruise 2016 collection to Davao. It brilliantly showcased a distinctive design movement called Memphis which was the craze back in the ‘80s when Rajo was in his teenage years.
The Magpie Memphis collection features “dizzying graphics and abstract shapes” as well as “structured silhouettes in vivid hues of chiffon, silk and crepe.”
In contrast to the previous spring/summer 2016 collection, The Monast, which had a clean and minimalist vibe, the Magpie Memphis collection is more playful with its exuberant design and color.
“The calm vibe has become busy. Yet, both collections share common denominators with their well-balanced scale and genre,” details the House of Laurel in its press release.
Aside from women’s clothes and accessories, the trunks show also offered something exciting for the men and kids with the Rajoman and Rajito line.
Among the trunk show’s happy shoppers were sisters-in-law Gay Grapa-Te and Tracy Ausin-Grapa; sassy sisters Stephanie Seng-Ong and Trisha Seng as well as Ria and Abby Gempesaw; Lisa Lim with lovely daughters Alyssa and Alyanna; Marga Montemayor-Nograles; Rochelle Rabat-Del Rosario; Bianca Barretto-Uy; Claudine Bautista; Long Pineda; Bai Siang Lim; Debbie Tan-Hao; Nini Hilario-Hao; Emma Cruz-Ng with younger sister Emily Cruz-Tiu; Corazon Ang-Tan; Mylene Yap-Aquino, Caroline Galang-Taojo; Carine Bacani; Helen Ang-Alvarez; Michelle and Dexter So with adorable daughter Heleina; Rajo’s former bridal grown client Nikki Gotianse-Tan; and many more.
Catering the scrumptious cocktail spread was Carmina del Rosario’s Crazy Cook.
We share photos of the House of Laurel’s Davao trunk show courtesy of Annie Paz-Lim who marvelously transformed the Dusit Thani Residence showroom during the intimate two-day event.
E-mail the author at mom.about.town.dvo@gmail.com. Visit www.momabouttowndavao.blogspot.com.