THE third year of Manila Fashion Festival must have been so popular as to compel its impresario, Art Personas, headed by Ronnie Cruz, to reformat seating arrangements to accommodate an extra hundred guests.

The fashion show series had designers showing off their Spring/Summer 2018 collections.

Aside from the usual crowd, Art Personas took risks by showing young designers, such as the those in Preview magazine’s Emerging Fashion Talent show.

From this pool, BusinessWorld noted the designs of Lyn Galo and Pinky Magalona.

Ms. Galo presented what could be seen as traditional, conventional frocks in sheer fabrics, with gold detailing, but showed mastery in her craftsmanship.

Ms. Magalona, meanwhile, showed both a spirit of adventure and technical mastery with dresses made with varicolored raw threads in woven together, creating interesting textures, verve, and movement.

One must also cite the designs of Jinngay Serag, whose monochromatic clothes with interesting silhouettes caught the eye: if only they could move better draped across a model’s body.

As for the pros, Brit Tipudio opened the show with a ninja Vogue-off, a foreshadowing of his designs reflecting angry dystopias born in Japanese anime. His clothes, approaching the avant-garde, show militaristic leanings decorated with belts, buckles, and hoops. He closed the show with an androgynous model in a trumpet-sleeved white coat strewn with belts and buckles tiptoeing across the runway in Japanese sandals, greeted by thunderous applause.

Art Personas’ homegrown brand, Arin, meanwhile, showed loose silhouettes in womenswear made in masculine patterns like pinstripes and the like. The trend reflects menocore (like menopause-core), a new trend moving across North America that encourages comfort and neutrality in shabby chic — think of it like normocore’s older jaded aunt.

Canle Ray, meanwhile, also took buckles to the stage in neutral outfits deconstructed then reconnected with the aforementioned accessories — trendwatchers, take note.

Finally, Junjun Ablaza closed the show with neons and brights, quilted and draped over models wearing safety vests and signs. Definitely fashion with a capital F; avant-garde ready-to-wear meant to stroke the senses, and nothing else. A fashion designer next to me interpreted it as models caught in an air crash or shipwreck of some sort, making do with creating outfits out of the lifeboats and safety gear.

MEETING GOALS
When Manila Fashion Fest first welcomed designers onto its runway three years ago, Mr. Cruz had two goals: one, to create an environment for designers to establish a real running business past the usual client-designer patronage model; and, two, to make Manila a fashion destination in Southeast Asia. Checking up on his goals, he reported that the first three years reflect the end of phase one, which was about creating awareness and brand equity. Phase two is all about expanding outside Manila, which is why the fashion show series is inviting designers from all parts of the country, from Cebu to Davao, to participate. After that, Mr. Cruz plans to create partnerships with designers in the Asian region, a project he has already kicked off by showcasing designers from Air Asia’s Runway Ready competition, as well as accommodating a Dubai-based brand for this season’s shows. “We’re expanding our reach to make it more regional in nature,” he said.

As for creating a more sustainable business environment, he reported that many of his designers, including Cheetah Rivera, Anthony Ramirez, and Jazz Cerezo, have noted an increase in their sales since joining the shows. However, he said: “The pace of change, as much as I want it to be fast — you get three steps forward and get two steps back[ward].” — Joseph L. Garcia

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