Pat Santos transports us to Sicily, the Mediterranean’s most alluring destination. Once settled since ancient times by the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans and Greeks, the stunning island is the inspiration for the designer’s irresistible Philippine Fashion Week Holiday 2015 collection, called “Modern Sicily”.
It’s no coincidence that Santos’s creations are splashed with Marsala, the Pantone color of the year inspired by the Marsala wine famously produced by its namesake town in the Trapani District in the westernmost part of Sicily.
“[Marsala bridges] the spicy flair of Sicily and the soft sensuality of the Filipino woman. The naturally robust and earthy shade of wine red, combined with black, red, white and carnation pink, is perfect for the Filipino woman’s complexion,” Santos says in the press kit given at the show at SM Aura, which was directed by Cata Figueroa Jr. and beautified by Jingky Ilusorio.
But it is not the Sicily as conjured so ornately by Dolce and Gabbana, as dangerously by The Godfather trilogy, nor as depressingly as in Stromboli, the neorealistic film directed by Roberto Rossellini and starring Ingrid Bergman that ignited their scandalous affair.
“I love the Sicilian way of dressing. It enhances the opulent feel of the clothes in my collection. I dream of dressing up the likes of Martina Stella of Ocean’s Twelve [which was partly shot in Sicily] and [Polish actress] Kasia Smutniak of From Paris With Love. Their classic beauty and elegance make me feel inspired,” Santos says. “My collection projects a different vibe, because I incorporated sporty looks and jackets. The colors and patterns, on the other hand, were inspired by Sicilian aesthetics.”
Santos might, as well, be enthralled with such Italian beauties as Elisa Sednaoui (model, actress, philanthropist and film director of Italian, Egyptian and French descent); Eva Riccobono (model, actress and television presenter); model/actresses Valentina Lodovini and Bianca Balti; and Sicilian-born Maria Grazia Cucinotta (The World Is Not Enough, Il Postino: The Postman and The Rite), as he was crafting his collection made of mesh net, net lace, lace panels, sequined lamé, lace cenefa, silk two-way stretch jersey and satin georgette crepe.
“I am now into a sporty look that can be converted to club wear. My clothes need not choose any occasion, and they are wearable day and night. And every woman will feel her confidence getting stronger just by wearing my clothes,” Santos says.
Santos is one of a talented few who can straddle ready-to-wear (via his Blanc et Noir line at The SM Stores) and couture (with eponymous ateliers in Las Piñas and Quezon City) quite effortlessly.
“RTW and couture, for me, entail a similar way of creating a collection. There are many things to consider during the conceptualization process. Among others are the following: the target market, the theme and inspiration; what are the best-selling and the new designs; the colors that will complement the women of today; and what is my message to my audience; and how can I inspire them to adapt to the global way of dressing,” Santos says.