Manila Fashion Festival A/W 2015

MANILA, Philippines - In the sophomore season of the bi-annual fashion festival, the notable collections from 16 young designers are in. YStyle reads the runway (to filth).

Ziggy Savella

KB: So down for this sleepover. White bucket hats, visors, floral prints, jumpsuits worn a third of the way through — this easy-breezy comeback from Ziggy Savella will be a hit.

MY: Ziggy Savella returns to fulfill the oft-ignored menswear niche with pajama-inspired daywear and convincing separates for A/W ‘15. What I love about Savella’s work is the authenticity of his construction; apart from the sharpness of fit, his instinct for finish is always impeccable. Be it a cotton drawstring to adjust the neck of a jacket or snap buttons on a pajama top, Savella earns top marks for his comeback.

Vania Romoff

KB: A prairie girl homerun. Vania Romoff’s Qurator-styled collection offered some updates on the designer’s existing repertoire. Itty-bitty lace styled with navy trousers, signature off-shoulder tops gathered by the sleeve, introduced new proportions for the designer, and created a more self-assured stance on her ready-to-wear clothes. I was practically looking for Lux Lisbon in the end.

MY: Vania Romoff is exploiting a void in the contemporary market — for the unabashedly feminine yet minimal, modern-looking clothes that still evoke romance. For A/W ‘15, the designer brought us a vision of her Secret Garden topped in straw and buckram boaters. The collection features her signature off-shoulder shapes done in floral motifs and maximal lace sheathes, pieces designed to please the current customer. The designer evolved with a lace maillot tucked in a paper bag trouser, a denim playsuit and funnel sleeves. The look could have been spring/summer but was otherwise an unexpected take for holiday season.

Jerome Salaya-Ang

KB: Jerome Salaya-Ang has always been skilled at molding silhouettes and keeping them held together, and the bright florals (as prints and as appliqués) were refreshing cues, a romantic direction for him this season. However, I do want to address the fit of his trousers.

MY: Jerome Salaya-Ang found a clever way to advance his dramatic flair for A/W ‘15. His collection bears his signature stamp of heavy embellishment and wrought-out fabric manipulation, but tempered this season with forgiving silhouettes and accessible separates. Salaya-Ang stays true to his point of view while still achieving a semblance of lightness, the discerning consumer should take him on good faith for that.

Michael Leyva

KB: All I could think of while watching this show was how many artistas will soon be wearing his gowns (true enough, I saw one on Instagram the next day). The liquid metal palette provided a lot of gloss throughout, and though a bit repetitive, it’s the glittered jumpsuit with the chest cutout that is worth noting.

MY: Michael Leyva injected a dose of pure, unadulterated glamour for his A/W ‘15 collection for Manila Fashion Festival. The initial silver embellished looks, a gown with sheer mermaid hem for example, felt reductive of the looks that followed. The well-cut knee length Lurex dress as worn by model Ann Casas and the beaded jumpsuits served to impress. Michael Leyva could be the one to watch, hats off.

Esme Palaganas

KB: Her debut show is strongest towards the end, where she’s able to showcase techniques such as pleating and tailoring. Esme’s eye is already distinct — J. Crew meets Simone Rocha for the young adult set — and it’s just a matter of refining the vision, from fabric choice to stitching, for her next collections.

MY: Esme Palaganas surprised me. What the young designer lacked in experience (a few construction issues and unconvincing fabric choices), she made up for in perspective. Palaganas delivers a strong point of view in her category, and she shores up a level of taste that feels modern. Things not easily said of just any designer. She was ambitious in her ideas: rough cotton plissé skirts, knit separates and manipulated fabric prints. Palaganas delivers forward yet wearable pieces but a stronger edit would serve her well.

Anthony Ramirez

KB: Anthony is really hiyang on neoprene. He’s been using it for more than a couple of seasons now, and it’s been effective. However, as straightforward and foolproof as this collection is, I’d also love to see him apply the techniques he’s employed to neoprene to another fabric as well.

MY: Anthony Ramirez indulges in loud echoes from his previous collection. That said, he still is on his A-game. Straightforward, no big motif, no theatrics; just well-executed pieces in heavy bonded crepe for A/W ‘15. Sleek bandeau dresses, close-to-the-body shifts and tailored trousers with pops of color. Modern contemporary in reversible fabrics, Anthony Ramirez hit it home.

Jot Losa

KB: Wide-leg trousers, exaggerated ribbons — I love the tension of restraint here. Though a couple of the chiffon gowns need a bit more tucking in, the structured pieces are an apt metaphor for Jot Losa’s growth as a designer.

MY: Jot Losa opens Day 1 of Manila Fashion Festival with a pale vision for A/W ‘15. Losa showcased ingenuity in an industry where textile innovation is hard to come by. For instance, the designer showed a clever use of sequined fabric reworked as pailettes on a sheer tulle top. The effect was effervescence in what was otherwise considered a gauche material. Lightness was achieved but not entirely. If the ruching on model Marita Ganse’s gown made her appear anything less than svelte, I doubt any other woman could carry that better.

Charina Sarte

KB: Charina Sarte sticks to her guns, and runs with it in her trademark sensual way. Cutouts galore, corset piping, and straps so skinny they almost disappear, her collection stays true to her aesthetic, and ultimately, gives her clientele new party dresses to be photographed with in the next months.

MY: Charina Sarte finessed the old trope of luxe sportif into something easily consumable for A/W ‘15. The designer departed from her jersey goddess confections but stayed true to her sleek and cut close-to-the-body aesthetic. The pieces offer nothing new but are informed of a point of view; dresses constructed well and strong enough to stand alone. Sarte’s collection was one of the few cases where styling (bare faces, a low-slung ponytail, snap belts and socks worn with heels) truly elevated the mood. Charina Sarte knows her market, and she knows it well.

Bea Samson

KB: I understand that the neon belt/harness is a styling tool, but it felt rather arbitrary here. Bea Samson is quite clear on her message, but it may have been diluted in execution down the line. I would say, that save for the last three looks, it was the men’s outfits that felt the most realized.

MY: Bea Samson references aviation and space exploration in her show notes for A/W ‘15. What worked well in this collection were her ovoid pieces in brocade (a shape she’s excelled in before) and her well-executed separates — notably the pleated cotton hakama worn by Cedric Pasco and her overskirt propositions. Samson’s process, if broken down into parts, has an interesting approach to the market. Contemporary to a fault, I felt like she could have better managed her concept. The styling bogged everything down.

Renan Pacson

KB: Straitjacket casual. Renan Pacson has a good command of knitwear, as he has shown in seasons before. It does peg itself as out of place, especially from a utilitarian point of view — but this Game of Thrones meets Rick Owens collection still earns props, for its singular vision.

MY: Avant-garde designer Renan Pacson takes us to a bloody circus for A/W ‘15. Interesting propositions come in the form of a woolly sweater and robe-like loungewear, Lurex separates and leather jackets. His Santa Sangre collection caters to a very specific market, a niche for the sartorially adventurous.

Cheetah Rivera

KB: I was able to check out her collection up close, and the embroidery work there is commendable. But between the preppy styling and the Prada-esque scarves, Cheetah Rivera’s collection would’ve found more grounding if it formed a decidedly cohesive look.

MY: Cheetah Rivera recognizes the market shift from glamorous evening to contemporary daywear for her A/W ‘15 collection. The look was young and krafty, quirky, a departure from her usual oeuvre of dark romance. Sleek shifts and easy separates were embellished with avian prints. Be it embroidered or printed, I can’t be sure but the surface effect was convincing. That said, I think her strong motif overwhelmed her execution — the sleek yellow dress with pockets for the sake of pockets felt awkward but otherwise, I’m excited to see how she can work to develop her new techniques in future collections.

Chris Diaz

KB: The masculine or streamlined looks, like the drop-waist peplum and the embellished trousers (à la Celine) matched with a button-down and a glittered vest, were the more successful outings of his collection. For me, the metallic bronze iterations were questionable in fabric choice.

MY: Designer Chris Diaz tipped his hat to the preppy world of Academe for his A/W ‘15 outing. An embellished charmeuse dress in plum stood out early. Despite interesting silhouette propositions in the form of embellished waist skirts (an echo of a micro-trend from the international runways of S/S ‘15) and bubble hems, I felt that some of the looks were largely confused. I am unsure about who is the woman for these clothes.

Banggo Niu

KB:  #freethenipple. A playful show, though it could’ve benefited from more editing and subtlety, as silhouettes tended to jump from one shape to the next, from one texture to another. There is something about it that feels hurried, even abrupt — and amidst all the shimmer and logos, I had wished for a less flashy rhythm to his clothes.

MY: Banggo Niu delivers an Instagram-geared collection for A/W ‘15. I would be the first to say it, Niu is predisposed to a certain taste level that isn’t necessarily subtle nor is it minimal. Chic doesn’t exactly come to mind. But I fought hard to include him in this list because when I saw his pieces walk down the runway, I saw deft construction and precise tailoring. His hems read louche when they’re meant to be louche, his box tops are cut to stand up. His clothes have a certain authenticity that is rare to see even among established designers. Also, I feel that the contemporary market could use the excitement that Banggo Niu could deliver, something altogether different, something that isn’t an off-shoulder knockoff.

Pablo Cabahug

KB: The looks with the colored mesh fabric were the standouts here. It felt fresher, versus the initial black and white looks that came through, as they felt quite dated in silhouette, and even fabrication.

MY: Pablo Cabahug deviated from last season’s full-on evening eleganza with his luxury take on sportif for A/W ‘15. The trend is tired, first off, and my reservations lie in whether or not newer clients will respond. The nadir of luxury sport slumped with “athleisure” last year, but fortunately Cabahug has shown enough range to entice with his expert manipulation of pleather and mesh.

Jaz Cerezo

KB: Well-constructed and clean evening looks,

but ultimately they felt a bit too safe.

MY: Jaz Cerezo sequels her last season’s wares with a collection of maximal pieces for A/W ‘15. One such body-skimming dress came down the runway in a deep plunge, fabricated in neoprene, expertly fitted to a tee. Cerezo shows us nothing new, but she delivers

eveningwear with a level of polish and construction that sits well in her chosen luxury category. She does what she does best, there’s no arguing there.

Mark Bumgarner

KB: Fifty shades of pink.

MY: Mark Bumgarner delivers his interpretation of glamour and evening propositions for A/W ‘15. Fabricated largely in Japanese mikado and silk gazar, Bumgarner has long departed from his sporty aesthetic and is cementing his image as a young couturier. An old soul, maybe? The look is nothing new, somewhat derivative, but the market definitely exists. Bumgarner’s robust client base will find no shortage of options for the upcoming holidays.