MANILA, Philippines—The LaSalle College International (not to be confused with De La Salle University Taft or College of St. Benilde) recently held a fashion show at the Festival Mall, Alabang.

It showcased designs from the school’s student designers and alumni, featuring summer-inspired outfits modeled by the finalists of Festival Mall’s Mr. and Ms Summer Bodies 2008.

The designs were by LCI alumni Rica Alberto and Pamela Villapando, as well as current fashion design students Fatima Beltran, Steffi Go, Krislyn Lee, Marge Regala and Karl Sutterlin.

Sutterlin, a 17-year-old student at the school, cited the American flag as inspiration for his clothes.

“I chose blue, white and red as the main colors of my collection,” he said. “I wanted to feature very strong colors for the summer. My clothes are a bit weird, I’m not sure if they’re wearable on the street.”

“I joined the school because I wanted to do something different,” he added. “My father has a wine business, while my mom works in a laboratory. I actually planned to enroll in De La Salle University, but I have no regrets with LaSalle International.”

Aside from the clothes featured in the fashion show, the students also put up an exhibit showcasing their gowns and sketches, as well as the magazine articles featuring their work. There was also a workshop on fashion illustration and styling conducted by fashion designers Danilo Franco and Edgar Mendoza, who are also instructors at the school.

Many of the clothes featured in the exhibit had Japanese-inspired themes, such as the creations by Athena Colico-Tandoc and Joana Yang, both students, and Gerry Katigbak, one of the school’s instructors.

“I love flowing dresses,” said Tandoc. “Mine was inspired by Japan’s Mt. Fuji. I used silver lamé to represent the snow coming down from the mountain, and gray silk taffeta because of its elegant look.”

Katigbak created a white kimono enhanced with a red obi. Yang, on the other hand, said she was inspired by white chrysanthemums floating on a black silk column, which resulted in a black kimono tied with a red obi.

“We learn so much about fashion from the school,” Tandoc said. “The show and exhibit was a great opportunity for us to try out our talents in the real world.”

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