MANILA, Philippines - Frederick Peralta suspended atelier operations, spared no expense and convinced famous names to model his collection marking his silver anniversary in a bridal show two weeks ago at SMX Convention Center in Pasay.

Organizers of the Philippine Fashion Week broke tradition by letting Peralta open the series with a bridal collection. He did 35 wedding gowns, 15 men?s suits and 23 outfits for children in the bridal entourage.

It was Peralta?s 20th solo show since his first gala presentation at the then Westin Philippine Plaza in the ?80s.

This time, he collaborated with jewelry designer Gerry Sunga, hair and makeup artist Jinky Illusorio, florist Teddy Manuel and shoemaker Ben Santos. (Koala, Rudy Adriatico and Kay and Irene assisted Illusorio.)

?It was one of my biggest shows to date,? he said. ?My team and I?45 people in all?had to stop accepting orders for more than a month to do the clothes.?

Peralta wouldn?t reveal the collection?s costs, but he said it was quite substantial and painstaking to put together. One gown alone, a body-hugging serpentine with book leaf detail made of layers of tulle and organza, took its poor sewer three weeks and several sore fingers to finish.

It was as difficult to make as to wear. It was as if the model wearing Peralta?s voluminous creation sported a pair of iron platforms walking the runway. Who says fashion should always look effortless?

Elaborate

All that material and manpower weren?t for naught. The designer indeed showed his public, especially future brides, what he was cap-able of.

Employing a mix of elaborate techniques and exquisite materials such as various types of silk, lace, tulle and beads sourced here and abroad, Peralta offered something for everybody, including the pregnant bride.

He insisted he didn?t have the pregnant bride in mind for the embroidered trapeze with an uneven taffeta hemline, but the silhouette stood out as contrast in a parade of gowns that emphasized hourglass figures.

?At this stage in my career, I?m done with staging shows primarily for their entertainment or shock value,? he said. ?I?m no longer competing with others, but with myself as I strive to keep a thriving business with a healthy bottom line.?

Still, it was quite hard not to be distracted by the designer?s trademark theatrical bent. This was bolstered in no small way by the presence of such celebs as Joyce Jimenez, Angel Aquino, Agot Isidro, Wilma Doesnt, Carlyn Aguilar and Assunta de Rossi.

De Rossi wore a seemingly simple beaded and strapless gold piece that was remarkable for its uneven, iridescent quality. Instead of using a single type of bead, Peralta encrusted the gown?s bodice with different kinds of beads in varying sizes and shades of gold.

The show had huge skirts that were tiered, layered, gathered or crumpled to achieve a larger-than-life effect. It could have gotten quite repetitive and predictable if not for the designer?s ability to juxtapose various materials and embellishments.

?The show?s director also gave me a free hand to do the sequencing [of clothes],? he said.

Apart from volume, the collection played with texture as seen in the gowns of Aquino and Aguilar. Aquino wore an empire-cut number with overlapping train made of textured gold organza.

Aguilar?s strapless gown, perhaps one of the evening?s most sedate pieces, was made of French lace that hugged the former beauty queen?s voluptuous curves.

Then there was the paneled gown fashioned from Mikado silk worn by Paris-based model Jed Tan. This time, Peralta zeroed in on the full sleeves, embellishing them with countless bows.

How?s that for drama?

Confident

Speaking of drama, Wilma Doesnt, in a sweeping Spanish-inspired bouffant made of tulle and embellished with embroidered and appliquéd black lace, shared the runway with a dozen or so flower girls in long black and white dresses.

The gimmick wasn?t new, but it still managed to bring the house down.

It took somebody as seasoned and as confident as Doesnt not to get upstaged or unruffled by the unpredictable antics of her fellow models. By the time the group reached the end of the runway, Doesnt and the girls curtsied almost simultaneously before an approving audience.

?I?ve got to give it to Wilma,? said Peralta. ?She knows how to handle the crowd. You should have seen her as she coached the kids backstage.?

Indeed, Peralta broke some ground in fashion, and focused on the possibilities and the sheer daring that could result in well-made pieces using the finest materials.

He wasn?t afraid to go heavy and elaborate as he played up his strengths. To us, that?s what sets him apart from most of his supposedly more trendy colleagues.