Last Tuesday, we had the privilege of meeting Hollywood's most in-demand Filipino couture designer Oliver Tolentino at the RIIR MaKULAY fashion exhibit. RIIR really upped the ante with this awe-inspiring collaboration.
Bright and warm tones were the couler de jour with the vibrant line-up of elegant handbags. The limited edition pieces showcased the ingenuity of Tolentino and the enduring craftsmanship of empowered women from the Payatas community who meticulously weaved the fabrics for the entire collection. Dubbed “MaKULAY,” a wordplay of “ma” (mother) and “kulay” (color), the collection paid tribute to the remarkable mothers in Philippine history through the exquisite splash of colour in Tolentino’s design.
Bright and warm tones were the couler de jour with the vibrant line-up of elegant handbags. The limited edition pieces showcased the ingenuity of Tolentino and the enduring craftsmanship of empowered women from the Payatas community who meticulously weaved the fabrics for the entire collection. Dubbed “MaKULAY,” a wordplay of “ma” (mother) and “kulay” (color), the collection paid tribute to the remarkable mothers in Philippine history through the exquisite splash of colour in Tolentino’s design.
Gracefully poised muses decked in newspaper dresses were the canvasses for the hues highlighted in the RIIR-Tolentino MaKULAY exhibit attended by stalwarts in the fashion industry, enthusiasts, and advocates for eco-ethical style. The newspaper dresses were fashioned by innovative young designers Noelle Llave, Camille Co, Kaye Morales, Mark Tamayo and Nino Angeles from the School of Fashion and the Arts (SoFA).
Oliver Tolentino, one of the most celebrated international haute designers today is a homegrown talent whose slew of recognitions include being named Designer of the Week in March, 2011 at the prestigious Fashion Week El Paseo in Palm Springs, California, USA; winner of the Sustainable Eco Fashion Award in 2010 at the Islands of the World Fashion Week in the Bahamas; and one of the finalists at the Oscars Designer Challenge in 2010, among others. His collections have been regularly featured in international glossy titles like Beverly Hills Lifestyle, Serendipity, and Hong Kong Tatler. His creations have been worn by three Grammy winners, two Emmy winners, an Oscar nominee, an NAACP Image Award winner, and by attendees at the esteemed Oscars and the Golden Globes Awards. Hollywood celebrities Cee Lo Green, Amber Riley, Jenna Ushkowitz, Sophia Bush, Kimora Lee Simmons, Vivica Fox, Patty Austin, Macy Gray, Arnel Pineda, Lea Salonga, Anna Maria Perez de Tagle, Camille Grammer, Niecy Nash, Tatyana Ali, Eva La Rue, Wendy Davis, and Aly Michalka have all worn his designs.
Tolentino is known for promoting local fabrics and Filipino culture through his pieces. He is a staunch advocate of eco-ethical style.
The bags were named after empowered Filipino women Marcela Agoncillo, Corazon Aquino, Gabriella Silang, Marella Villavicencio and Lydia Tolentino.
This stylish bag was named after Lydia Tolentino, the designer's mother.
RIIR successfully mounted the awe-inspiring MaKULAY runway show
