Prince Padilla’s “Novel” pulls no punches in his pursuit of originality and defying convention in the realm of womenswear
The inner workings of Prince Padilla’s creative mind propagated a wardrobe probing contemporary fashion with novel ideas, intriguing textures, and garments of fluidity and movement. Prince’s vocabulary of clothing with “Novel” provides a new sartorial foundation for the woman he is dressing. With pared-back elegance, he gives a youthful take on what can serve as new and solid ground for women’s fashion.
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Positing thought and intent in “Novel,” this collection calls into question what is old, what is new, and what is yet to come in womenswear. “Each one is a variation of a proposal to what I envision as the next steps towards womenswear in the Philippines,” Prince explains. “It’s a tactile body of work.” His studies of crafted designs were on display as a new solution to what can be worn by women and the infinite possibilities. Prince’s take with his creations feels like threads coming undone from something old and sewn together again into something new with his own touch. While there are always sure to be suits that serve as the foundation of “Novel,” the designer adds a touch of grit, whether it be through patches of materials stitched onto the dresses or the bold details on the necklines and hems.
“Experimentation is the core of ‘Novel,’” Prince tells MEGA. “In terms of fabrication and construction, a lot of what is in the show are developed pieces that have more often than not come from mistakes. And they’ve just been worked around and problem-solved to achieve what is quite a successful collection.”
For Prince, the entire process has been a learning experience. “A lot of the changes and alterations we’ve had to make come from organic decision-making and things developing, seeing what works with the kinds of bodies that we have,” he shares. “The outcome of that elevated my initial designs at the start of the YDC. It’s better than what it was, but overall, I just want to be able to showcase my capacity as a Filipino designer.”
Prince debuts on the MEGA Young Designers Competition stage a unique pool of garment experimentation, textured and volumes of fabric, silver embellishments. He adorn the models with jackets and bags that make the silhouettes a bit grandiloquent—but nevertheless, as its namesake implies, novel.
In this fresh chapter on womenswear, “Novel” is the serious step in the right direction for that domain, excellently utilizing layered prints, a cohesive assortment of fabric probing, and couture tailoring to achieve excellence.
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
