FAST fashion shows no signs of fading. That much we can glean from the confidence that SM puts on seemingly unfamiliar brands scurrying to take a slice of the finicky but updated Filipino retail market. An armada of Spanish brands—Suiteblanco, (Sfera) and Uno de 50—made a splash at Philippine Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015 at the SMX Convention Center, following Forever 21, a more famous brand, in opening this seemingly abbreviated edition of the twice-yearly fashion spectacle.
Suiteblanco is for the chic career woman who loves to go casual on weekends and travel during long breaks.
“At Suiteblanco, we love the freedom to dream that fashion offers. For this reason, every season we strive to offer the trendiest yet affordable products—inspiring products that make the dream a reality. We are targeting the young, always feminine woman with an urban spirit, who sees fashion as a form of personal expression,” offers the brand’s philosophy.
The brand was founded by Bernardo Blanco in 1960, but is currently owned by the Arab company, Alhokair Fashion Retail. It says its “primary objective is to tailor its collection to each of the markets in which it operates.” The key pieces on display followed these trends: rock ‘n’ roll denim, safari standouts, black and white binary and East-meets-West eclecticism. (Sfera), meanwhile, makes its Asian debut at SM Makati. It prides itself in being a “fashion chain that is committed to quality, constant updating and variety in its collections.” Seen on the runways were animal prints and graphic lines for women and sharp suits and sweats for men. “The [Sfera] woman is sophisticated and effortless, which is why the clothes depict the same mood,” according to its brochure. “Contemporary classics define the [Sfera] men’s line. Redefinitions of timeless menswear pieces and updated designs result in a collection that caters to the wearer, a man of the times.”
The perfect, complementary accessories to these new wardrobe staples would be Uno de 50, which launched its Connection Collection. The core pieces are divided into Forest (pieces reflecting the change of seasons and the feelings that are awakened throughout the process), Vastness (silver-plated organic shapes that are cold to the touch and connect you to the landscape’s vastness), Intimacy (pieces shaped as hearts and keys), Magic (pieces that reflect the light, color and shimmer of the Northern Lights using Swarovkis) and the Men’s Collection of rings and bracelets.
Finally, there’s Forever 21, the precursor to Uniqlo, H&M, Pull and Bear and all these labels that drive the Filipino shopper mad for more. For its PhFW presentation, it showed tartans, fit-and-flare dresses, cardigans and scarves, and leather jackets and skirts for women. For the men, the offerings were suits, jackets and sweats, and formal to casual pants. For the kids’ collection, the children will be fashionably all right for the coming seasons.
Forever 21 has a goal to become an “$8-billion company by 2017 and open 600 stores in the next three years.” With its continued success in the country, it just might achieve its target.
Image credits: PHOTOS FROM PHILIPPINEFASHIONWEEKLIVE.COM