Philippine Fashion Week/Holiday 2010: Going Local or Gearing Global

  Michael Cinco's Madame Butterfly Collection

Every year, the Philippine Fashion Week puts us in a existential dilemma – is there life after fashion? Is there life in fashion. Especially our new crop of NextGen fashion designers, who were participating the event in full force, are now besieged by the truth behind cutting edges and shimmering satin duchess. In one week, we have read more than we possibly could about the high spirited Philippine fashion, written with a new found delicacy for words such as embellishments, craftsmanship, sensibility, pinoy oeuvre…. Fair enough. 

Oscar V. Go- showing off a bright future in his contemporary slim silhouette


We are all developing and honing skills that will allow us to explain fashion’s ‘pinoy-sensibility’ to a world looking at us with renewed zest. But this year both designers and writers grappled and grappled hard to tell their own story. Philippine Fashion Week after several years, emerged as the new Mecca of designs and arts showcase of Filipino talents and a fashion run of veterans as well as the neophytes in the fashion industry.

John Herrera's controlled elegance in Beige Gown


Living up to its cultural heritage and blending the modern with the traditional, the Filipino fashion designers are waiting to be noticed by the glamoratti. PFW 2010 ferrets out the designers behind the most compelling collections and unearths an artistic haven of design and aesthetic excellence. But as the drama of the week-long event unfolded, the participating designers struggled to find an individualistic voice. Where the designers were concerned, there was more drama on the ramp than there is in a spring carnival. Where in some, the theatricality of a ramp show worked for their benefit, in others it was a simple cry for help. Leafing through all the fashion fodder that emerged out of Fashion Week, it’s interesting to see where mere terminology stopped and fashion rhetoric began. 

Cherry Samuya Veric's Turquoise ruffled Gown in naked bodice with appliques


There were big (and unfounded) accusations thrown in the air by people who were armed with little less than the information from international shows. So we saw some designers accused of ripping off Alexander McQueen, a spectator declared, "I am not here to watch a McQueen rip-off!!!".

Kermit Tesoro's Avant Garde Collection


Unless a conscious effort is made and constructive criticism is employed, the media’s important role to help develop an entire industry and take it to global levels will be undermined. To sustain the interest levels and ensure continuous participation from local and international Filipino designers, participants need to fast forward to the future rather than play catch-up, observed some style critics from the industry. 

Benjie Pascual: Shimmering Black Gown with voluminous cape collar


Several years of good performances is a good juncture for the major events at the Philippine Fashion Week (PFW) to deliberate on how to build on to a more strong agenda, a foundation of designers,buyers, media – all need to collectively decide on the path forward so that this event, which is organised to world class standards, will become an important fixture in the global fashion calendar. 

Kaye Morales Book leaf magenta ensemble with embroidered tapes on the bodice


The only disturbing aspect has been the ongoing economic crunch, other than that major obstacle, the Filipino designers unique talents attract attentions.

Ronaldo Arnaldo's Trendy Chic


Great effort and support for the fashion week is needed to develop an entire fashion industry and take it to global levels. There are so many talented designers showing here and a promising crop of GenNext and Emerging Designers.

Nicky Martinez in Black slim gown with tribal embroidery matched with hanging beads on shoulder


They have given Philippine Fashion Week 2010 a boost and they all deserve the support of the entire fashion community.

Noel Llave's white trendy and avant gardish collection


So how does that affect the PFW? ....the fashion week needs a ‘fashion critic’ board who can properly place the Pinoy collections in context, in this country, right now and tell it like it is. And sometimes just say ‘No!’ There are designers here who will benefit more from a critical review than a compliment. They need someone to say ‘No…don’t do that’. Don’t send that out. No, edit the collection better. No, those shoes are all wrong…you don’t need the huge handbag. The ruffle is unnecessary. The fabric is being tortured…. Stop! The stylists brought in have made huge contributions, but they can only take it so far. The designers need counsel and advice long before PFW. ‘No’ is just not a word used often enough here, to help the designers.

Philip Tampus' uber luxe wine red ruffled Gown with seamless Bodice
PHOTO CREDITS: STYLEBIBLE.PH