There may very well be a rule among the fashion faithful that states, “If you do not have the heart for drama in fashion, consider yourself unworthy of a Michael Cinco creation.”
Michael Cinco is now considered as one of the country’s most sought-after designers. For one thing, he has
staged one glamorous comeback. That is if we are to take the number of showings he had in less than a month of return to his homeland into account. And why not?
The Dubai-based master couturier has acquired the support and zeal of the fashion elite and propelled him to international acclaim. Fresh from his most recent win as the Breakthrough Designer in the Global Fashion Award in New York City, Cinco has made the rounds from one well-received gala after another.
Barely two weeks after the success of the Red Cross Charity Ball, Cinco’s creations are once again applauded by a flock of fashion onlookers and design followers. In partnership with French skincare brand, L Oréal Paris, his Spring/Summer 2012 Collection opened Philippine Fashion Week (PFW) clearly in celebration of luxury, glam, and drama encapsulating his signature vision and design aesthetic.
“We are truly excited to be presenting Michael Cinco for the Philippine Fashion Week and translating his design vision to the runway through fashion-forward looks that perfectly reflect the essence of Filipina beauty,” said Arnaud de Fontgalland, country division general manager for L Oréal Paris Philippines in a press release prior to the show.
The 40-piece collection was a most welcome departure from what Cinco has shown in the PFW runway in recent years. This time, even without his well-remembered enormous headdresses and excessive make-up, Michael’s design philosophy still flowed dramatically in a deluge of classic silhouettes played masterfully with intricate detailing and embellishments.
Most of the pieces were tweaked versions of what he presented in the recent Red Cross Charity Ball with the services of international catwalk superstars Michelle Panemanglor, Danica Magpantay, Teresa Herrerra and even Claire Unsabia, America’s Next Top Model (ANTM) graduate.
Michael openly shared his design inspiration coming from his most recent visit to Greece. The breathtaking topography of the place and the architectural heritage served as his primary drawing board influence. The collection presented a mix of mini dresses and elegant couture gowns of a bright-to-dark color palette referencing the Santorini sunset—off-white, orange, yellow, gold, brown, and red.
Cinco’s pieces painted a visual play celebrating the female form through classic ensembles infused with a modern twist with lacework, brocade patterns, ornate beadings and delicate fringes. But one thing that stood out in the collection was Michael’s idea of bringing highly-embellished pieces and still making it look wearable.
The theatrics of the show was also noteworthy and truly representative of a Lagerfeld-esque or a McQueenian-inspired presentation with the aid of ace runway director Ariel Lozada. Cinco’s design direction got clearly laid out starting with a powerful opening of a male model in a nondescript cape before revealing a steel-cupped undergarment. A slew of mini dresses with ceramic laser cuts followed suit transitioning to various numbers ornamented with sequins, glass beads, and pailettes. Even minimally embellished pieces appeared strong like menswear borrowed pieces like his tailored suit with surprising back detail and draped designs with metal accents that appeared like armor.
True, Michael Cinco’s collection was an artful rendition that spanned historic timeframes. Segment after segment, the pieces communicated the seamless marriage of vision and masterful technique. The designer succeeded in telling a narrative musing over Grecian goddesses, Aztec warrior princesses to Egyptian royalties that came in asymmetric column dresses, light and flowy chiffon gowns, and heavily-embroidered body-hugging golden ensembles.
After the parade of crystal-bedecked designs and an overwhelming number of carefully edited pieces, Anne Curtis came out as one of the show’s final reveals. The L’Oréal Paris brand ambassadress sashayed with a fiery red form-fitting gown with superb detailing from its delicate embroidery on the shoulders and arms down to its feathery fringes.
To the amazement of the crowd, ANTM graduate Claire Unsabia drew the show to a dramatic close with a sultry nude sheer dress with crystal adornments and five sculpted male models as accessories. With models taking a drenching in the center of the glittered runway and with golden confetti hitting the lights beautifully at the finale? Now, that’s making a statement. -Manila Standard
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