It was a whirlwind of a ride as the Fashion Institute of Design and the Arts held its latest graduation show at the Atrium of SM Lanang Premier last September 30.
Paris, Milan, London, New York and Tokyo. The graduating students of FIDA took on the challenge to represent five global capitals that lead the fashion paradigm with each city representing different fashion aesthetics that embody what is fashion.
This year’s theme may be simple but as one can expect, global cities pulse with a life of their own with vibrant scenes in culture, arts, lifestyle, religion, flavors and even sensibilities.
Yoko Cansancio took inspiration from Paris’ Chateau de Versailles with floral details juxtaposed with elegant feminine silhouettes while Marvin Jed dela Rama went for a sleek utilitarian street look for his New York-inspired collection.
London was the inspiration for Allysa Lyn Damole and Patricia Ann Garcia but the collections they produced night and day next to each other. While Allysa chose to use modern street shapes peppered with the busy traffic signs of London’s Soho district, Patricia’s collection harkens back to a night out in town at the busy West End.
Two designers, Shanna Palileo and Mark Ortiz were both inspired by Tokyo. I was impressed by Shanna’s collection which brought me back to the busy and fashion forward streets of Harajuku, where prints were unashamedly paired with prints, over prints. Mark, on-the-other-hand went with clean lines and boxy silhouettes evoking kimonos and yukatas with prints that are inspired by koi fish.
This year’s batch of FIDA graduates may be lesser, but the quality of the designs produced this year are truly outstanding and I cannot wait for these young designers to grow out of their shell to make their own mark in Durianburg’s fashion scene.
