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RCXY's  Best Shows from Philippine Fashion Week - Summer 2011

This season's fashion week probably had the most retail brands to join the festivities.With each brand trying to outdo each other, designer shows took a backseat in terms of hype and attendance. There were a handful of collections that stood out from the grandeur of those shows and each had the simplicity in design, clarity of vision, cohesiveness of the collection and originality. With a plethora of designers showing one cocktail dress (knocked off from either Mcqueen, Balenciaga, and Lanvin)  after another, one gets tired of watching until something original comes up. There were a few who came up with relatively original and impressive techniques, but somehow failed in fit. There were those who have it all- perfect fit, impressive embellishments, several techniques in a dress, expensive material, etc. but forgot the most important thing in fashion: good design. One thing I learned from watching the shows is that a good designer should learn to have control over their clothes. Not because one knows how to do them all, it doesn't have to be in one piece. Lest, it ends up looking amateurish and tacky. Control is the key partnered with good taste. 

The following designers presented a clear vision of their collection, stamped with their own creative style and masterful in what they do best. I must say, styling helped a lot to convey their messages.

TINA DANIAC S/S 2011

 Tina Daniac's Summer 2011 collection is devoid of any frou-frou and embellishments she was known for but several Daniac summer staples like swimsuit, body-cons and flowy pieces were present. Her latest offering are the woven silk chiffon strips cover-ups which went over bright-colored body-con dressess and swimsuits. Inspired from the FIFA World Cup Theme Song, Waving Flag by K'naan, the collection spoke unity (woven strips), colors and Africa.

CHRIS DIAZ S/S 2011

Chris Diaz' ultra-feminine collection transported us to a 50's dream summer destination, probably in the Hampton's where one can stylishly walk along the beach in sexy swimsuits without being too Jersey, attend garden parties in candy-colored 50's dresses or in flirty florals, and to a an elegant dinner-and-dance in the evening. Diaz showed clean lines in his solid-colored dresses made modern by leather bow belts. His white lace summer trench cinched with the same belt is divine. I also like how hints of leopard prints pop in shoes, hat and bandanas. Diaz was a co-finalist in Mega's Young Designer Competition back in the days and I'm proud to witness how he developed to be a designer with that certain level of maturity and control I was talking about. Diaz, in his very young age, is a Narciso Rodriguez/Bill Blass in the making and should be given a well-deserved big break. 

GERRY KATIGBAK S/S 2011

Gerry K is one of the senior designers that started way back in a group of iconic Malate designers and ever since,  he never veered away from his neck high caftan-esque silhouette. Many seasons and hundreds of trends passed by yet he managed to make his signature silhouette timely and modern. It underwent several incarnations- from, indigenous fibers, to oriental,  to opulent goth, to colorful and sporty and the latest is a free spirited  oriental-esque hippy   in layers of sheer graphic sheer fabrics in polkadots and florals. The young fashion enthusiasts may not have his name on their must-have list but I realized, Gerry K is a must-have. His pieces are not as trendy as a cocktail dress but like CDG, Issey Miyake, and other japanese designers whose clothes become more important as it dates. It is designers like him and designs like his which you can not replicate or even copy as the silhouette alone bears his name and signature.

JEROME SALAYA ANG S/S 2011

The best compliment I've ever heard for Jerome Salaya Ang is from a friend who after inspecting his dress said "This is the kind of dress I don't mind spending thousands of pesos for." This remark is coming from a person who spends thousands for a dress and knows what she's talking about. Ang's post-apocalyptic/punk/glamour collection lies it's strength in his craftsmanship. Although the punk styling sort of took away the focus out of the clothes and more on to the concept, it was because the clothes, in itself, is confident of it's beauty that it is not afraid to get ugly. If you take away the show hair and make-up, the pieces remain to be strong, modern, glamorous with an edge and definitely, well-made. Ang knows no shortcut in construction. Each piece is well-studied, well-cut, well-constructed and topped with the right amount of texture and detailing. 

KERMIT TESORO S/S 2011

Fresh from his success from last season's collaboration with Leeroy New, Kermit Tesoro is hailed to be the most promising young designer if not the best in his contemporary. I couldn't agree more. Given the creative freedom, this new kid on the block can move mountains, or pleather car seat material, and a mix of unmanageable materials which he cut-out into panels to create graphic bodysuits which was seen in his recent summer collection. It's all praises for Tesoro at this point and his shows are always a joy to watch. He's a young designer who has not fallen  to the lure of DIY. When this boy thinks, he creates. He's the glimmer of hope the industry have't seen for years and we can only hope that his art-meets-fashion inspires everyone to step-up and create something not just difficult and complex, but beautiful and original.

NOEL CRISOSTOMO S/S 2011

Noel Crisostomo's Summer 2011 show is the most cohesive, well-edited, well-made, and well-studied designer collection. It started with white, blushed to pink, hinted with green, went green, up the ante with inclusion of metallics and ended lightly with a lingering effect. It was fresh, light and very airy. I can even tell how the women smell like, fresh citrusy eau de toilette with flloral undertones. It was not trying to be grand but it wasnt simple either. Each piece bears right amount of detail interesting enough of a second look. Crisostomo's collection is a study of subtle contrast. Light vs heavy, lace vs. pvc, girly vs. tailored, shine vs. sheer, pastel vs. bright, soft vs. hard. I must admit, his very common name did not ring a bell until after the show. With a very successful Philippine-made collection, his name will soon be a local fashion staple.

all photos from Stylebible.ph, obviously