LIKE all informal but high-profile events in Manila, Cesar Gaupo?s afternoon fashion show did away with the usual dress code.

Instead of feeling lost, however, a gaggle of fashionable women relied on their instincts and came in their respective idea of afternoon-tea attire? from the streamlined to the bohemian, from the plain to the printed, from the frilly to the no-frills.

Whatever look they went for, most women chose to cap off their respective outfits with a statement bag in various form, shape, size and color.

Model-turned-entrepreneur Tina Ocampo, for instance, carried one of her Vogue-featured minaudiere to complement her boho-inspired look, while several local fashion executives went for equally pricey designer brands. Alex Y. Vergara