At Rampa Manila 2, Marc Rancy marries the delicate silhouettes of ballet and the inspiring bustle of the city into one collection
Grit is the beat that makes both the city’s inhabitants and ballet dancers move. Harsh and bright, as they call Manila’s reality; graceful under immense pressure, as they describe the craft. How does one see, hear, and feel this intersection? When you are Marc Rancy, you marry both in a collection of structured softness, and a daring decision to bring a new take on his craft to light. “I was drawn to the idea where craftsmanship and technique are paramount to ballet,” he explains to MEGA. “It’s the movement and silhouette, with my own details to add drama and romanticism.”
RELATED: 3 Young Designers Take Inspiration from the Colorful World of Divisoria for Rampa Manila 2
The designer glides around the shades of white and light pink, his pieces either a monochromatic iteration of each color or a spin of both. True to the clothing codes of ballet and his own core, Marc incorporated tulle, silk, and a few piña fabrics from Divisoria—the land where people dance with speed and strategy as they walk and rush across eager buyers and even more eager sellers for the day.
While Rancy knows how to bring theatrics to his designs, it’s the wearability of each piece that adds charm to what usually is an attire for the stage. A cutout dress with beaded, fringed details will make you stand out from the crowd, but not stick out like a sore thumb. Sheer elements are cool enough for a hot day, and sensually romantic for the night.
Fringes, drapes, hand pleated tulle, and floral embellishments prove Rancy’s creative eye for detail—one that is essential for a practitioner of dance and design.
Defining rampa in his own words, “It goes deeper than a catwalk or pasarela. It means celebrating uniqueness and the beauty in diversity.”
He interprets this belief by injecting soft shades, intricate weaving, and embroidered flora into menswear—a first for Marc in his collection.
“I’ve always done menswear, but more for private clients only. This time around, I wanted to showcase my tailoring technique, but with womenswear touches in the process,” he says.
Whether it’s in Divisoria, dance, or design, it takes more than just skill and strategy to survive. There’s that beat of one’s will to keep moving through one’s hands and feet—drive, passion, persistence. And if anyone needs to see it, Marc Rancy’s Rampa Manila 2 collection evidently exhibits, and proves so.
Photographed by GRANT BABIA
