JO ANN Bitagcol, Gabbie Sarenas, Joey Samson, Rhett Eala, Le Ngok and Nicolo Perez were among the designers who presented their runway collections for the spring/summer season at the 2024 Bench Fashion Week.
Jo Ann Bitagcol
Bitagcol, the 1990s Filipina supermodel who went from being a factory worker to photographer and now designer, found her mission in the world of fashion. Bitagcol had made a name for herself behind the camera because of her ability to present fashion from a novel angle.
Offering a glimpse into local traditional wear, her style is known for her interpretation of the baro, barong, and Maria Clara, which includes floral patterns and embroidery – as well as the reprise of traditional clothing that are genderless and timeless.
Bitagcol’s Bench runway collection is an ode to the rise of the digital age and modernity. Her designs are a representation of the Philippines as a culture, by preserving and understanding the past. She’s the definition of “modern-day Maria Clara” because of her unique wardrobe pieces.
The collection honors the history, identity and culture of the Philippines. It is a look into the traditional Philippine clothing as seen through the modern eyes of the artist.
Gabbie Sarenas
Sarenas is a fashion designer who earned her bachelor’s degree in fashion design and marketing management from the SoFa Design Institute.
She is known for her romantic storytelling — for her love for Filipino textiles and hand embroidery, such as reflecting a commitment to preserve the heritage, all inspired by her love letter to the Philippines.
“Tanan” is a brand that exemplifies understated emotion. It features garments that may be worn with everyday outfits with inherited pieces. The atelier is known for its trademark style of creating veils, gathered skirts and scarves.
The collection draws inspiration from intimate and private moments of romantic relationships. The collection explores nostalgic fabrics, with elements from Carlos Siguion-Reyna’s film “Hihintayin Kita sa Langit,” and some colors and stripes referencing old photographs of women in ternos.
Joey Samson
Also known as the “garment surgeon,” Samson is a designer who was a student at Slim’s Fashion and Arts School. In 1992, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology at the De La Salle University in Cavite. Despite his parent’s disapproval, he chose to attend fashion school.
Samson is an expert of combining parts of traditional menswear, such as the barong, camisa, and Western suit, with the unique features sourced from the womenswear, namely as the pañelo, alampay, tapis, and enaguas.
His collection, which includes a wide variety of pieces for all genders, is inspired by Barroco or strangely formed clothing designs. Every design captures the spirit of both the past and the present by fusing characteristics of the current era with influences from the fashion mood of the past.
Rhett Eala
Eala studied textile design at Academia Italiana in Florence for three years. He dreamt of becoming a designer. In 1990, Rustan’s offered him to design for a house label, called Due by Rhett Eala. He is known for his iconic Philippine “map” logo which found its way onto shirts, pants, shorts and bags.
His clothing radiates femininity, with lace and brocade cocktail dresses and shirts. But because of the pandemic, he began making stylish face masks and more casual apparel to make up for the lack of events where his garments were worn.
In case you didn’t know, the late Philippine President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino wore his popular creation which includes his version of the chiffon poncho, a formal staple during the early 2000s, along with the embroidered map shirt.
His latest collection with Kashieca is a collaboration which features three sub-collections full of stylish womenswear designs that captures the alluring charm of summer.
First up, the “White Summer” that has laced shorts, dresses, skirts, and shirts with eyeleting. Then there’s a variety of cozy knit tops from the “Knit Collection.” Also, the “Florals and Prints” that offer skorts, skirts, and tops with floral embellishments.
Le Ngok
Carla Zhang is a Chinese founding designer of the label Le Ngok based in the Philippines. Her interest in fashion started when she was a young girl when she drew her very first fashion sketch.
Zhang describes the initial process of creating her own label, as the visual translation of “uniquely interesting designs.” According to Fashion and Market, the name Le Ngok derived from her nickname “le,” which means joyful and interesting, whereas “Ngok” represents her mother who believed and supported her dream since the beginning.
She describes her style as “mixed media wear,” where she was drawn toward interesting textures on canvas and sculptures, where it says mixed media. The designer has adopted mixed media as her medium of choice.
The collection was titled “There’s Nothing Wrong” which draws inspiration from the designer’s own experience with anxiety disorder, realizing that many individuals in our generation go through similar things without realizing it. The collection seeks to reassure people who have experienced or currently suffering mental health issues, that they are not alone.
Every piece from her collection promotes an immersive sensory experience, where it’s about embracing the high and the lows, and everything in between.
Nicolo Perez
This rising Filipino designer earned his psychology degree and eventually pursued a career into fashion design. He has been making clothes for six years. He doesn’t have any mentors, but he learned a lot from his designer peers who are also his friends.
Before starting his menswear brand, nicolò, he had already participated in several design competitions. His goal is to create clothing that makes the wearers feel wonderful.
Perez draws inspiration from flower arrangement, vintage floral botanicals, outdoor gear and workwear, as the collection promises a distinctive visual journey.
The materials he uses are often denim, nylon and sheer fabrics like piña. In terms of his signature style, he plays a lot with curves and shapes.
His “Pick Me” collection explores the common theme of wanting someone and dressing up to be fit in and accepted. It represents this journey as a means of coming to terms with oneself.
