The PFW Experience

OK! Confession time: Almost a decade back, when I was discovering the beauty (and the ultimate cause for the frequent reappearance of my green monster of envy haha) that is the annual Victoria’s Secret Fashion show, I dreamt of sashaying the runways of Paris and Milan (and yes, Victoria’s Secret, too! ;)) Eventually, I resigned and just dreamt of being that girl backstage running around, helping the models in and out of the clothes and fixing their outfits. Thanks to SOFA, that dream of mine became a reality a couple of months ago when I was given a chance to assist in the biennial Bench Fashion Show. And yet again just last week when I worked as one of the assistants to Luis Espiritu, my awesome teacher and the stylist for SM Menswear, Bags and Shoes show for Philippine Fashion Week.  The whole experience gave me a taste of what it’s like to work behind the scene and I loved every minute of it. Had I not have a day job, I would’ve seen it through from start to finish. But because of time constraints (screw limited VLs but a thousand thanks to my kikay boss who understood my “creative” needs. ;)), I only got to be at the model fitting, merchandise preps and the fashion show. Sucks that I missed the catalogue shoot but it’s ok. That’ll be for next time! ;)

During the rehersals

The model fitting happened on a sunny Friday morning. My car was coding so I was at the venue at 7AM, call time is at 9AM. Insert the Filipino time effect, the fitting, basically, started at 10:30, but I haven’t been happier to wait considering I'm not even a patient person. ;) (See, I really love this job. ;)) I adore all the sections of the show – at least those that we handled. I never really appreciated men’s clothing because I found it boring, at the very least. A suit is just simple to me – dress shirt, trousers, coat, occasionally, a vest. Gray, black, khaki, pinstripe or plain – they’re the same banana to me. Assisting in the show, though, made me appreciate the power of colours, pins, cummerbunds, scarves, neck scarves and knits. 

High Society, as the name suggests, is all about looking aristocratic. J’adore the white suits on both Hideo and Camille. I’ve always found tailored gray suits sexy on a guy, but white coats are just as gorj if done right! ;) The pins, definitely, added a fun and regal kick to the whole ensemble. 

Luxe Leather showed how the material typically associated with biker boys and rockstars could provide a beautiful and classy mix of textures when layered with knits and wools. My personal faves are the coats with leather shoulders and pockets and the dark denim/ leather pants. They’re so subtle yet they make such an impact. 

Finally, Modern Military provided a chic twist on greens and khakis by infusing leathers and knits into the mix. The green bomber jacket made me wish there’s a version for the ladies. Maybe I'm just biased towards the color green, or it’s just sooo cute I can’t get enough of it. ;)

The call time was 8:30AM on Day 1 of the show and 11AM on Day 2 but the craziness really started an hour before showtime. That’s when everyone was running around, clothes are being thrown everywhere and people are shouting at the top of their lungs; with Day 2 being way busier than Day 1 (Hands down!). It was a beautiful chaos, I can get used to it. =D

After the Thursday show, I have to admit I felt a pang of sadness. It is the last show that I’ll be “doing”, which means the week after, no more male models (Yes, I have to admit, they made the experience super colorful. ;)), no more running around and early call times, no more awesome clothes, shoes and bags, and no more being surrounded with so much creative juices. It was like a prolonged dream sequence coming to a close and I want more. At the end of it though, I must say, I have gained renewed respect for the fashion industry. The hardwork, time and effort that go into putting up a show are just astounding. Can’t help but be proud I was a part of it! ;)

It's a wrap!!! With THE Luis Espiritu, posing is inevitable. ;)

Indeed, patience is a virtue! With Mikka and Rudolph. =)

Tired but happy interns after the Day 2 show. =)