International fashion directed its spotlight in Manila last October 17-20, as the 58th Manila Fame, the highly-acclaimed and well-attended lifestyle and design exposition that features the finest products from the Philippines, unveiled its runway to the world, with this season’s Manila Wear. With its aim of showcasing the best looks for tropical and resort wear to the rest of the world, the Center for International Trade Exhibitions and Missions (CITEM), under the innovative eye of international fashion icon Josie Natori, the third ever Manila Wear gathered the country’s most revered fashion and accessories designers with the most respected international design luminaries, celebrating three days of creativity, craftsmanship, and competitiveness in the global stage, at the SMX Convention Center.
With the main thrust of maximizing Filipino artisanship for world-class, modern fashion, Manila Wear presented a venerable assortment of products and pieces that are just as well covetable for the resort collections of years to come. By combining a rich array of regional crafts with the diversity of talent and tastes of its featured designers, the 3rd season of Manila Wear successfully presented the multi-faceted albeit coherent Filipino style, an image highly appreciated by visiting buyers and international guest alike.
Filipina designer Len Cabili’s take on the ethnic bolero, a piece of clothing favored by the Mangyan and the Bagobo tribes, featured traditional beadwork with a refreshing color-way for its distinct ikat print. Toting pacesetter Amina Aranaz-Alunan applied intricate woodwork characteristic of Betis, Pampanga, for her deluxe line of evening clutches. The baroque imaginings of Joyce Makitalo’s precious accessories revisited the country’s rich heritage of gilded altars and religious adornments. Much admired power-designer JC Buendia reacquainted his elegant dressing with traditional Philippine lacework, embellished, no less, than with pearls. While, Ann Ong’s stroke of genius, the Coconut Twig Clutch, earned acclaim as this year’s Katha awardee for Best Fashion Product.
With a flair for merging the disciplines of high art with high fashion, Manila Wear exhibited the special tableaus of one-off, editorial pieces designed by sculptors Jinggoy Buensuceso and Olivia d’Aboville, paper artist Wataru Sakuma, photographer Wawi Navarossa, and fashion ingénues Tipay Caintic, Eric Delos Santos, Twinkle Ferraren, Veejay Floresca, Bettina Ocampo, Vania Romoff, and Hindy Weber Tantoco. By focusing on the art of detail, these designers employed their flights of fancy into products crafted by participating companies like 1968 Export Co., Alice Blue Candle Inc., Dekokraft Inc., JC Jems, JER Shellcraft, Joami International Trading, Kilus Foundation Multipurpose Cooperative, Native Crafts & Arts Ind. Inc., NC Filmade Corp., Payte, Prado Filipino Artisans Inc., Risque, and Robles Heritage Inc.
The successful marriage of concept and craft that is on center stage at Manila Wear has drawn the praise of the event’s illustrious international guests. Collin McDowell, British fashion authority and the mind behind UK’s Fashion Fringe and Nikki Rowntree, global tastemaker and one of the most-prized fashion consultants both applauded this season’s display before lending their expertise on various talks and atelier visits held around the city.
By looking back to the country’s rich resource of arts and crafts, by looking around for the country’s finest fashion designers and trendsetters, and by looking forward to the country’s dominance in resort and tropical fashion, the 3rd Manila Wear had successfully set the mark of Filipino style in the global stage.
Cover: Nikita McElroy
