If art were a religion, Akio Barreiro is a disciple-turned-prophet ready to proclaim his own sartorial story in his tailored pieces
Religion is a unifying force known to man since time immemorial. In Akio Barreiro’s exploration of his fashion philosophy, he anchors his faith for this collection in a catholic sense of things. However, “Love and the Pilgrim” is anything but a mere presentation of silhouettes and symbols that of a religious habit. Just like any thoughtful believer would, the designer takes his persistent inquiry on the credence of fashion into the runway and challenges its boundaries through his craftsmanship.
RELATED: MEGA YDC 2024 Runway Report: Dino Bancoro’s Eleganza Extravaganza
Akio stitches his grasp of construction into monastic frames, particularly in necklines—layered, upright, v-shaped, or accessorized. He takes the circular geometry of the amice and guimpe, transforming it into a modern crop top hemmed with a tailored waist belt. Other religious elements are more straightforward such as the priestly red cincture belt and the use of velvet, a fabric known to cloth statues of saints. Vestments and emblems such as crosses, a rosary, and a scapular are part of a believer’s everyday use and wear. With its appliqué form in Barreiro’s collection, can it be treated as a commentary on the commandment of praising false gods and symbols?
As an individual, Akio is a voracious consumer of art forms whose inspiration comes from punk music, Yohji Yamamoto, and for this collection, the painting of Edward Burne-Jones called “Love and the Pilgrim.” This is where catholic—a word synonymous to diverse—comes into play. While everything is bound by his signature tailoring style, his experimentation brings a modern iteration of an angel’s wings from a painting.
In an earlier conversation, he mentioned a more detailed take on elements such as texture and structure. In the runway, he gives asymmetrical sleeves, a feathered texture on the hips, kimono-like silhouettes of the sleeves and the bodice. At the MEGA Young Designers Competition 2024, Akio Barreiro took us to church and made us a believer of his craft; one which binds varied influences into a coherent collection.
Photography JHARWIN CASTANEDA. Creative Direction BRIE VENTURA. Sittings Editor MIA CASTRO
Photography by ED SIMON of KLIQ INC.
Official fashion fund and grand prize partner SECURITY BANK
Co-presented by BYS PHILIPPINES
Special thanks to AYALA MALLS, LILY AND MATILDA, and HILLTOP BY EVERYDAY COFFEE ROASTERS
