Jerome Lorico shines a light on black at Singapore Men's Fashion Week

Jerome Lorico is obviously being symbolic, maybe even a tad cheeky, when he describes his recent collection for the first Singapore Men’s Fashion Week as inspired by the Aurora Borealis or the Northern Lights, the natural display of light and brilliant color seen in the sky usually over Scandinavian and northern areas during winter. Particularly since it’s an all-black collection; there’s not even a touch of the blues, reds, and jade greens usually displayed by the lighting phenomenon.

But Lorico continues his explanation. “This phenomenon actually happens after long periods of darkness. I would like to think that my models were characters in a story where they can be considered as urban nomads patiently waiting for the dawn. It was like a symbolic odyssey to find the light after a long absence of it. It is a search for enlightenment in every sense that a man can think of.”

Detail value: As if making up for the absence of color, Lorico injects a lot of texture into his design, using knit, netting and even semblances of furry pelt.

And perhaps, in a way, he is referring to himself, considering, especially in the last couple of years, enlightenment seems to have struck Lorico — quite resolutely. A guest designer stint at Folded & Hung and a grand prize award bagged at the 48th Japan Fashion Design Contest  last year has thrust Lorico into the spotlight. (This was his third time to join the competition. The first time he made it to the finals and took home the Jury Prize award, the second time was inconsequential and this third time, he won two major corporate awards as well as the grand prize.) This Singaporean showing, which also featured designs from labels such as Boss Black by Hugo Boss, Emmanuel, Raoul and Shanghai Tang, makes for another notch, albeit a very significant one, on Lorico’s belt and may well establish his name in Asia. (Another local designer known for his menswear, Joey Samson, also showed a collection in this first outing of Singapore Men’s Fashion Week.)

Though known for his sleek suits and structured silhouettes, Lorico loosens up a bit with this collection, combining his bespoke coats and streamlined pants with thin T-shirts, and securing waists with tied ribbons instead of leather belts. As if making up for the absence of color, he puts focus on texture, exploring different materials such as knitting, netting and even semblances of furry pelts. He dresses up a simple tank with a knitted pullover/scarf and layers netted hoods over a tailored jacket. The result is something organic, even nomadic, yet still very sophisticated. “I guess that it looked crafty yet toned and restricted. It is proper dressing with respect to the handmade aesthetics of design,” Lorico expounds.

Having completed Singapore Men’s Fashion Week, Lorico is now preparing for his Fashion Watch showing this June. And soon after, Lorico can’t say where his designs will lead him next. “Things are happening really fast for me now,” he says. Just like the nomadic mannequins in his show, Lorico is definitely going places.

Men on the move: Lorico's designs channel the nomadic urbanite.