YES, it’s prom season once again and all the young high school ladies and gents are all in a frenzy deciding on what to wear. This would probably be the first time in their lives where they get to dress up to the nines, not for a family affair like some cousin’s wedding, but with classmates and friends.
This would make dressing up a little bit more difficult as these kids will need to deal with the harshest critics there is if they messed up – their own peers.
Deciding on the right gown or suit is perhaps as stressful as passing their finals and it will surely scar these young impressionable minds for life if they chose the wrong thing to wear. Luckily for them, the city’s fashion icons like Gil Macaibay III, Cagayan de Oro’s Prince of Haute Couture, are there to help them out.
“The prom season usually starts early December when most of the designers receive advance orders for the first quarter of the year,” said Gil who designs both long gowns and tuxedos. “But officially, it’s in February and March, the prom months. During this time, almost all designers, diyan nakafocus.”
Gil shared that the typical prom nowadays are themed-based and the designers need to base their designs and get inspiration from the themes.
He mentioned that some of the proms for this year are Moroccan themed and Parisian inspired. “I would say that it’s a bit difficult kasi for each design, I need to consider the individual preference of the wearer. Plus, the preference is something that we need to adjust to the theme. That makes an ensemble a bit more difficult to create.”
He cited as well that most of his clientele already know how they want their dresses to look like. “May idea na sila on what they like, may certain standard look na silang gustong ma-achive. But sometimes magkaparehas yung mga ideas nila. As a designer, I make it a point na hindi sila the same, na hindi similar ang mga gowns nila. It is important for us designers to create individual designs that are not repetitive.”
Gil explained that the designers also make sure that the gowns and suits are still reflective of what’s in season despite having to adjust to a theme. “But as much as possible, we don’t stick to a single color. We try to explore different shades or hues of different colors na appropriate sa wearer para hindi din masyadong common din yung ginagawa naming creations.”
For one prom season, Gil shared that his shop creates more than 50 individual gowns and suits. This is why he advises that it is really important to have the dresses and suits ordered ahead of time to give the designers enough time to prepare. “When it’s near na, like two weeks na lang from the event, dun pa nagkakandarapa. In the end, everybody is in a rush. So it’s better to plan ahead of time para hindi mag cram.”
Last January 31, Sunday, Gil gave a special treat to his clients who ordered their gowns and suits ahead of everybody else. “I organized a photo shoot for them kasi, for most of them, it’s their first time to be in long gowns, to be in formal suits. I wanted to give them something memorable.”
These young men and women posed in front of the lens of one of Oro’s top photographers, Roger Lactao, in their beautifully created and vibrant long gowns and suits.
The gowns and suits featured in the shoot included Gil’s pre-prom designs in royal blue tone, “The gowns are made out of Mikado silk. The cut is classic with contemporary embellishments and I used laser cut laces accented with moonstones and crystals.”
“The shoot is also one way of showcasing what my forecast is for this year’s promenade. It’s basically showing the people also that these are the trends now for young men and women.”