MANILA, Philippines—Sabella recently celebrated its 20th year as one of the leading fashion retail brands in the country.
The fashion show displayed a kaleidoscope of styles from four decades of fashion from 1970s disco, 1980s excessiveness in everything, 1990s minimalism, to this decade’s fusion of the previous decades key styles.
Ramon Sabella enlisted several up-and-coming young designers, some of whom, he said, were his suppliers over the years, to showcase their original designs inspired by the past decades.
Most noteworthy were the collections of Baby Samson, whose conventional ’70s animal-print patterns made with silk satin, were very daring yet extremely wearable; and Happy Andrada’s trippy modernized, ’80s-inspired cuts with canary yellow accents that will no doubt be a closet staple for funky fashionistas.
Lanie Moreno’s black-and-white silk and satin collection accented by hot-pink accessories was delightful and fresh.
The show’s grand finale was, of course, Ramon Sabella’s, founder and CEO of the Sabella brand, originals as interpreted by Cora Vergara.
The collection was mostly sleek and clean-cut evening gowns of black and candy colors, accented with gemstones. This is part of Sabella’s effort to “bring couture to the department stores.”
The night’s surprises weren’t over, as after displaying his fresh new collection, Sabella revealed the fresh, new face to represent it. That face was of the 17-year-old GMA star Rhian Ramos.
“I wanted someone young and fresh to carry Sabella’s new line,” Sabella reveals. “I first saw Rhian at a Supermodel contest in China, where she wore one of my gowns. She was very impressive.”
Sabella’s inspiring history began 20 years ago, coincidentally, on Aug. 8, 1988, when a young Ramon, after a 16-year stint with an American retail company, decided that fashion was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. The first Sabella store opened at Ali Mall that year.
“I’m not so crazy about the current fashion situation,” Sabella said.
“That’s why we went with this [four decades] theme. I believe the fashion trends today are at a transition period. The best is still to come.”
