Philippine Fashion Week Holiday 2010 Opening Night
I was at the PFW Opening Night last Wednesday to witness the top designers and retailers in the country show off their latest designs. I made it to the Visions and Trends/Design Fusion Collection where Anna Leah Salvador, Aries Lagat, Benjie Pañizales, Don Protasio, Enrico Carado, Happy Andrada, Harley Ruedas, Jaki Peñalosa, Jan Garcia, Martin Bautista, Mitzi Quilendrino-Bustos, Nolie Viñeza, Norman Noriega, Patrick Galang and Raoul Ramirez presented. SM also showed off their latest designs already (or soon to be) available in their department stores.
Click here for more photos by Francis Tuason for thePOC
I love PFW for what it is trying to do - to showcase Filipino talent, especially young designers who are trying to get a leg up on the first rung of the fashion ladder. However, I think that the designs, while beautiful and obviously made with attention to detail, are too safe. To put it bluntly, some of the designs were unoriginal. A lot of the pieces showcased in the Visions and Trends show were cocktail dresses or evening gowns that capitalized on existing trends or took their inspirations too literally to the point of becoming costume-y.
This is not to say that PFW was a failure. In fact, I think that it's a great venue for fashionable minds to meet, witness, and discuss the future of the industry. I think that we have a lot of talent here in the Philippines, but it is talent that is trying too hard to please the majority's conservative tastes. We still have a long way to go in becoming a fashion capital, but I am glad that we are on the road, swingin'!
Moving on! Due to crappy seats and a camera that was not designed to take runway photos from afar, I wasn't able to take great pictures to show you guys. Anyway, here are a few from SM's ready-to-wear collection.
SM Department Store's RTW collections bright prints (animal, floral, abstract) and solid neutrals (black, beige, white) in their color palette. In terms of silhouette, office and smart casual wear were very structured - blazers, tight, collared tees, bodycon dresses, high-waist slacks, tulip skirts, and capri pants are heavily featured. For swim wear and lounge wear, the silhouettes were very loose and flowy, very much hippie/bohemian chic. In short, there is something for everyone! It's SM, after all.
And that's it. Did you go to Fashion Week? What did you think? Are you going? If you have great photos, I would love to have them in my blog or at the Beauty & Fashion channel over at thePOC. Let me know!
