True colors of Patrice

"I can tell you all about the colors of the dresses, but don’t ask me about my philosophy or things like that," Patrice says to me in her trademark drawl that is ruffled with sweetness and firm indignation. This was her reply after I asked for her e-mail address to send interview questions. For Patrice it was always about the clothes and never about her – and it shows.

I was drawn to her the first time I met her. She reminded me of Snow White, with her ebony locks, porcelain face and girlish smile. She has that quiet naughtiness about her. Sort of like a maverick, who is constantly figuring out ways to surprise people, whether it would come in the form of a witty one-liner or a jaw dropping year-end collection. I guess what makes her stand out is her unassuming glide up the fashion ladder. She dispenses all the haute in her outfits and leaves none for her attitude. "I work better when I’m draping on a mannequin, rather than sketching on paper. Sometimes, it feels as if I’m in a trance and ideas just flow naturally. I try to stay open and wait for the pieces of fabric to evolve into a piece of clothing. Sometimes I’m surprised with the outcome. The common thread in the clothes I make is that it’s usually feminine, nothing too bare, nothing too trendy, sometimes fun yet not over the edge, and always practical," she shares about her creative process.

From Rissa Samson’s couture glories to Daphne Osena’s nude magnum opus worn at the Metro Wear event – I’ve been witness to Patrice’s magic with fabric. She seems to have a love affair with the thread and needle as she creates divine garments of desire for mortals. Yet it would be unbelievable that the provenance of this garment goddess was that of a designer in denial.

Patrice went to UP Fine Arts and majored in visual communications. Although she was known way back in campus for selling polo shirts and even doing a fashion show for an organization, she still ventured out for a career in graphic design. This is when fate intervened as Patrice found herself locked in conversation with a friend who works in Mega magazine which was housed in the same building as the graphic design firm she was applying for. She was coaxed by the Mega babe to join the YDG competition. With nothing left to lose, Patrice did what she did best and came out winning first place in the illustrious competition. This is where the serendipity sugar and whipped cream crash in to sweeten things up. The grand winner in true Pinoy fashion turns out to be overaged for the Singapore competition leaving Patrice as the banner holder.

For this story, Patrice was enamored with the concept of colors creating a mood and character of its own. "I got the idea of doing colors for this story when I came across a copy of the Shanghai fashion magazine West-East from Bench. The whole issue was all about colors. I was so impressed with the editorials and was amazed at the thought that they came up with almost 200 pages of features and interesting images dedicated to colors. I wanted to present the idea of going adventurous with colors for holiday party dressing to lift our spirits and get us in the mood to celebrate. Color reveals  a character and exudes energy. It excites the senses – not just visually. When I see colors – it’s almost as if I can smell or taste it.  It enhances your mood," she opines.

Patrice is well known for her feminine and figure-friendly silhouettes. She knows how to do sexy without being vulgar. Think of a Vargas pin-up girl with royal lineage! She defines her aesthetic for this season, "The cut of the clothes were very simple. Mostly empire dresses in baby-doll silhouettes. I chose to focus on strong hues and color combinations , and decided to play with shapes rather than embellishment. The harmony of color and shape creates a very strong visual image. To me, color and silhouette are the two most important elements of design."

Power dressing now is all about the head-turning quotient without the cringing aid of shoulder pads and "nude" hose. Color as Patrice envisions it is much like a rainbow, prismatic with its effects darting out in different directions, in different ways!

The fashion story tries to recapture the tragic heroin(e)’s of Brett Easton Ellis’ seminal novel American Psycho. In debutante chic clothes and Chanel perfect makeup, their most intriguing trait may well be the fun in their dysfunction! They certainly put the itch in bitch!

Cheers to decadence!