ARGUABLY one of the most glamorous evenings of the Manila social season, the gowns and the gems were brought out for the Red Charity Gala, which would go on to benefit Philippine Red Cross, Assumption HS ’81 Foundation, and various charities throughout the country.
The grand party, on its 11th year, usually features one designer’s fashion show, and then an auction. This year, the gala went on overdrive and decided to feature 10 designers who had participated in the gala previously, namely Dennis Lustico, Furne One, Michael Cinco, Cary Santiago, Ezra Santos, Jojie Lloren, Lesley Mobo, Chito Vijandre, Joey Samson, and Rajo Laurel.
As for the auction, among the lots were: an iPhone 11 ProMax 64GB with a one-year subscription to the Globe Platinum Plan, and a one-year couple’s subscription to Kerry Sports Manila, which raised P120,000. Next came a collection of five pieces from Royal Gem, designed by actress, socialite, and political spouse Heart Evangelista, and a two-night stay at the Bellevue properties. This raised P180,000. An Ultherapy couple’s treatment was won for P680,000, and a trip to Hokkaido, with a stay at the Foxwood Chalet, was auctioned off for P680,000.
A table from Bernhardt, with chairs to match, a premier mattress from Uratex, and a trip for eight by Air Asia to Osaka was won for P500,000. Diamond earrings from Chow Tai Fook were won for P320,000, while a pair of emerald and diamond chandelier earrings from Tessera was auctioned off for P500,000. The earrings came bundled with a stay at JPark Island Resorts and Waterparks in Cebu.
A bid of P600,000 won two round trip business class tickets to any European destination by Emirates, bundled with a special bottle of Louis XIII cognac. A safari trip which would take one throughout South Africa was won for P1.2 million, and a strand of Jewelmer pearls worth $15,000 went for P 1.35 million. You do the math.
As for the fashion show, it opened with a lively presentation from Bench and its fitness wear. Everybody cheered for the guys hopping about in tracksuits (some of which were eventually peeled off). Fashion with a capital “F” started the real fun though, with Dennis Lustico’s opening number, featuring chinoiserie with headpieces like court hairstyles of the Forbidden City. The collection evokes but does not directly reference East Asia, and there was a lot of movement, verve, and color, with a bright, cheery palette given drama through volume.
Furne One’s collection made this reporter gasp. It was an almost spiritual collection in a neutral palette, with veils, capes, and surprise, bodysuits. This was accented by metal halos, and embellishments of crystal on the outfits.
Michael Cinco’s signature swishy skirts reminded one of the Powerpuff Girls, had they been found on the streets of ’60s London. The collection had been part of the designer’s collaboration with Ballet Philippines for its 50th anniversary gala at the Marriott’s grand ballroom on Sept. 29.
And as for Cary Santiago was quite the experience, and this reporter is still in a mild rush from the cleverly rendered japonisme. For example, it opened with a black kimono painted with gold, and several more kimonos and the like, with the faces of geisha dolls serving as appliques across the chest, or covering the back. I say Cary Santiago is a real genius, while the gentleman next to me, with his eyes popped open in an expression of amazement, “Well, somebody came to work today.”
The collection by Ezra Santos showed grand gowns, veils, and crystal and lace masks, accompanied by a soundtrack of whispers, which one might think references an Illuminati theme, but is actually based on his work in the UAE.
Jojie Lloren’s collection came out to “Sweet Dreams” by the Eurythmics, and the architectural construction of the terno and the Filipino kimona gave one a vision of what would happen had the soap opera Dynasty been set in the Philippines.
Lesley Mobo came out with a collection of sleek sexy gowns in jewel tones referencing the femme fatales of 1940s cinema, while Chito Vijandre’s collection showed very exotic textiles and clever references to the past: think Renaissance gowns, or Tatar culture by way of Russia, and the whole thing looked like a living painting.
Joey Samson showed an androgynous menswear collection that seemed to evoke prep schools, with the presence of a schoolmarm leading a pack of “boys” representing various stereotypes in school: the go-getter, the dunce, and so forth. Rajo Laurel’s collection was inspired by the Ati-Atihan festival, and with the movement of very heavy and rich fringe, referenced the dancing and revelry of the festival.
The show closed with a parade of all the outfits, making for one beautiful picture in the mind. — Joseph L. Garcia
