TOKYO-BOUND DESIGN WINNERS TELL STORIES

As summer sizzles in Manila, fashionistas of all persuasions eagerly await the annual Bench Fashion Week where both established brands and the next wave of breakthrough designers showcase what's new and what's hot.

- VICKY VELOSO-BARRERA

And never mind the sweltering heat, so anticipated are the shows that way before the doors open, a long line of attendees is already snaking around the Bench Tower in BGC. Dressed in every conceivable look under the sun, the invited guests are themselves an eye-catching fashion spectacle.

The Bench Fashion Awards were true to form, a vehicle and opportunity for new and young talent, opening doors that boosted the careers of past winners like Jaggy Glarino, Jenni Contreras and Antonina Amoncio. From a hundred aspiring designers, the competitors were whittled down to the 12 who presented their collections last Sunday to a panel of jurors that included Suyen Corporation chairman Ben Chan, fashion stylist and creative consultant Michael Salientes, designers Joey Samson and Dennis Lustico; Kaoru Imajo, director of the Japan Fashion Week Organization and Mihara Yasuhiro, creative director of Maison Mihara Yasuhiro. The three designers they selected would not only receive a cash prize of P200,000 each but also get the chance to present their collections at the Tokyo Fashion Week in September. Naturally, airfare and hotel accommodations are part of the prize.

As we sat on the edge of our benches, we could imagine how difficult a job this was for the judges because all 12 finalists were uniquely outstanding. It was possibly our crazy summer weather that had at least two of the winners, Steph Verano and Peter Gagula, focused on aspects of the sea. Steph Verano of the eponymous label Stephverano said, "I started looking at vintage photos of fisherfolk, it didn't matter what culture. From there it evolved to looking at present-time images of people who love to fish. It's interesting to look at the volumes and the shapes.