2023 has offered up countless of trends and aesthetics that are as varied as our styles. Here’s how you can achieve the different looks with Filipino designers and brands.
Global trends significantly impact our country, shaping the cultural landscape and leaving a lasting impression on our society. The influence of these trends is a powerful cascade, integrating into our way of life. As we engage with the forces of globalization, our cultural style evolves into a dynamic composition, molded by global trends yet formed with local aesthetics. New denim now takes the form of Carl Jan Cruz. Jessan Macatangay allows us to show almost every part of the skin. Mermaidcore, Ariel to Dseyebel. This is how you can do it.
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Mermaidcore
It’s the simplest in the list, incorporating only shimmering splendor. For that look, imagine using crocheted items, folded fabrics, bikini-style tops, sparkling decorations, patterns, and shiny materials in tones of blue, green, and purple. Explore JustBonita’s corseted cut-out dress featuring a hand-beaded deep-sea rosette bra and a casually draped skirt. It’s an underwater New Year’s Eve celebration.
New denim
Denim is often the easiest to find in the Manila streets, in thrift stores and shopping malls. New denim, however, is trickier. It takes newfound skill and creativity in the construction while leaving in its raw foundations, and not a lot of designers have been practicing that with the textile until now. It’s still denim, but denim for a new world that gets bigger, brighter, bolder. Look to Carl Jan Cruz’s collections, where denim is a predominant aspect of his portfolio.
Barbiecore
Pink can be overwhelming, especially a monochromatic look that’s as bright as the sun. This year’s trend takes on the form of the most famous doll in the world when she got her live-action movie. From fashion brands and real estate collaborations, pink has never been more spotlighted than ever. It’s fitting to incorporate the trend for your end-of-year affair. Get inspired to go the K-Pop favorite route, black and pink, with this Ha.Mü look: a button-down in black and a skirt in pink, coupled with Nicole Saldana clogs.
Skin is in
While it may be too early for everyone to try out the no-pants trend, we can try as much to show a little skin. In our tropical climate, finding pieces that are cool and comfortable to the touch while looking stylish is tricky—but not impossible. Get inspired by Jessan Macatangkay’s structural ensemble, JOS Mundo’s platforms, and Neil Felipp x Jewelle Yeung’s minaudiere based on the artist’s paintings.
Quiet luxury
Be quiet, you don’t want fast fashion to hear you—even if they already have the aesthetic in their lineup from seasons past. Filipinos are loud and expressive individuals: they wear the most colorful outfits, order the most food, and sing the loudest songs. All of this is true during the holiday season, so it’s quite difficult to encapsulate a trend that requires us to be, well, quiet. As our culture is predominantly loud, these Filipino brands have a distinct quiet feel. For this trend, look at Uniform’s Arthur sky top paired with Aire’s cream bermuda shorts, Nicole Saldana boots and RAFE New York’s Julian small tote.
These global trends offer a delightful spectrum of Filipino choices for the discerning and daring. As we navigate the Boracay shores of mermaidcore, new denim expressions from Escolta, pink hue sunsets at El Nido, skin-bearing styles for a night out at BGC, and the understated polish of stealth wealth from the enclaves around Forbes Park, let this be a reminder that fashion is a personal story told through fabrics and designs. As the year draws to a close and we step into new beginnings, may your choices be as expressive as your personality. Here’s to a fashionable new year ahead.
Featured Image: MEGA ARCHIVES
