PATTERNED after. Embroidery
on the strapless gown that she learned as a lead designer of
an atelier in Farwaniya, Kuwait (CDN PHOTO/MATT PINKIAN).
Pinky Magalona’s ongoing evolution of style
TO WATCH the breezy collages of eyelet lace, flying tulle, and sheered cotton waltzing out one sunny morning on the beach, you couldn’t detect a single visible clue that this was anything more profound than just a happy, career-crystallizing moment for these designers.
“I cut these patterns from another fabric and sewed them
on the dress, so I can manipulate a new direction,” Pinky Magalona, alumna of School Fashion and the Arts in Manila, shares how she developed her latest line of bridal gown. The former Dhar Ahlgalia Atelier design leader in Kuwait previously put up more than 30 looks in 24 months. Each one is an accomplished hybrid of the kind she has been evolving for years. But this, her fifth outing since her homecoming in Cebu eight months ago, was definitely her best yet—fashion of the ilk that had observers offering up the silent verdict: “So fresh and original, I want it.”
The 30-year-old 2011 Cebu Young Designers’ Competition champion is a creator who has reached clarity about herself.
IDOL WORSHIP. Apart from the dresses, Pinky looks up to Cebuano fashion designer Philip Rodriguez who is excellent in tailoring. Here the model wears a
complete set of formal attire by Rodriguez (CDN PHOTO/MATT PINKIAN).
“I want to make things that are interesting but are easy to put on. It’s important that it’s not just about being creative,” she says, now launching both a ready-to-wear line of women’s wear It’s By Zoe, a wedding collection and custom originals under an eponymous identity. “Designing RTW is a different ballgame because there is no actual conversation with customers. In custom-made orders, I get to speak to my clients about what they want —straight to the point.”
Hers is a look made out of many parts; the front is different from the back, the top from the bottom. Pieces fuse tulle with lace or with shirting and chiffon with lingerie-lace trim. But the magic is the way Pinky assembles all together in a single garment.
That level of finesse is all more marvelous when placed in the context of when she was designing this collection: It almost reads like an act of style defiance. The rules and schedules that used to apply to fashion are beginning to shift in all kinds of unpredictable ways. Her main view was to demonstrate at close quarters how the clothes are produced, and to render to couture customers a commentary on possible purchases.
EVERY LAYER BEAUTIFUL. Layers of tulle she sewed to achieve the puff of this A-line skirt without using petticoats (CDN PHOTO/MATT PINKIAN).
The close-up view offered the revelation of the varieties of intricate pleating that went into creating the diaphanous, layered skirts. Some are decorated with micro sequins, crystals, or tiny grommets. A couple incorporate large, flat bows at the waist, which were influenced, said Pinky, by the archive she made in Kuwait. And if you can recall the winning clothes in 2011, there were two tailored outerwear pieces, decorated with mirrored embroidery, and that was the sum of the range on show—though she points out that the prototypes
are merely there as samples to be altered by customers when ordering.