So what's new?

I cannot, in all honesty, see anything new about this collection’s supposed “New Generation” of designers. I was expecting, well, something fresh, ground-breaking, new — but most of the collections felt usual and even dated.

New is you

Anthony Ramirez’s playful superhero-inspired metallic blue/black caped dresses, structural shapes, modern cut-outs and bows made all of us feel the fun element in fashion. It was playful and entertaining. Glen Halamani and Greta Castro’s collection for plus-sized women was a welcome change from the usual fashion for stick-thin models. There were imaginative uses for ruffles and folds in their dresses and tops. The only downside was the dominance of shantung silk. Maybe using other fabrics would give the pieces a fresher feel. Kat Corpuz’s earth and rust colored collection felt very modern with its burnt ochre tucks and folds. Santi Obcena sent out amazing nude and khaki items paired with super sexy shoes. There were great draping and spiral pleats. The workmanship and focus on the collection was very evident. Vania Romoff’s khaki/gray gartered dresses felt very modern too for Spring ‘09 since nudes are foreseen to be a big trend this coming season.

Now and then

Charina Sarte has always been one of my fave designers for her trademark sexy swimwear and floaty maxi dresses. While I loved her one-sided goddess dress, the items seemed like pieces she had already done before. I understand that these are her trademark looks, but I would like to see her apply her aesthetic and skills to something new. Maricar Kobayashi’s dominantly pink collection was just, well, too pink. Although she had imaginative pleats and a pretty one-shouldered romper, I think the pieces would have stood out more if she had chosen another color. Meanwhile, the collections of Arnel Zulieta and Gela Salud felt very dated. Zulieta’s floral pink tees and overlayed polos felt like they had been done several times before. Salud’s flower painted tights and dresses looked like Home Economics projects.