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FASHION
Watch is back! When rumors of its comeback filtered from
fashion insiders down to industry followers, everyone
was giddy about the return of a seminal style-setter.
The brainchild of design master Inno Sotto and his late
partner Richard Tann, the series launched trends,
innovations and design talents before it unceremoniously
disappeared several years back.
Upon its
revival, the series is called Fashion Watch Quartet,
with designers grouped into four or six to showcase
their craftsmanship and aesthetic in the four-series
spectacle. “This is an exciting, dynamic and challenging
time for fashion,” Sotto said at the launch.
Only 20
designers were selected to be part of Fashion Watch,
which will be held at the Lobby Lounge of the series’s
new home, the Makati Shangri-La, at 4:30 pm, coinciding
with its Filipino High Tea that features a delectable
menu that blends local delicacies with British
traditional treats. The series will be every Tuesday and
Thursday of the week starting February 12 until November
this year. A single designer will be the highlight of a
week.
Why only
20 designers? “We really wanted more, but it would be
hard to subsidize all of them,” Sotto explained. Each
designer was given an honorarium to work on his
collections, with tremendous support from Nokia, Belo
Essentials, Globe Asiatique and Metrobank Femme Visa.
Together with producers Jojie Dingcong and McC Quan,
project director Patrick Rosas and project coordinator
Grace Molina, Sotto handpicked a diverse group of
designers.
“There
are the Fashion Watch babies, such as Mike de la Rosa,
Lulu Tan Gan, Alex Bitong, Jojie Lloren, Rajo Laurel and
Dennis Lustico. Then there are the new generation, such
as Ivar Aseron, Joey Samson and James Reyes,” Sotto
enumerated.
On
February 12 and 14, Rhett Eala will jump-start the
series. Patrice Ramos Diaz will show on the 19th and
21st; Gian Romano on February 26 and 28; while Cary
Santiago will close the first quarter on March 4 and 6.
“If
there is anything that I can be truly proud of, it is
being part of this community of brilliant designers,”
Sotto shared. “They were chosen for their strength as
designers and design sensibilities. They are major
players in the industry, very visible in the press, have
viable businesses and have constant interest and
curiosity about their work.”
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