BY JOHANNA D.
POBLETE, Reporter Since it opened in 2007, Myth in Greenbelt 5 has con sistently delivered a solid collection made by a pool of noted designers, namely former Fashion and Design Council of the Philippines (FDCP) president Randy Ortiz as creative director, Jojie Lloren (also former FDCP president as well as founding member and former president of the Young Designers Guild of the Philippines), Dennis Lustico, Ivarluski Aseron and Joey Samson. Also part of this power group are stylists Henri Calayag for skincare/cosmetics and Jing Monis for hair products, as well as artist Doltz Pilar for home accessories. However, Myth stated from the onset that it would periodically invite young blood to jazz up the regular assortment with their own take on the fashion direction for the season (the device by which the collective delivers a cohesive look and allow customers to mix-and-match in-store). This summer, the theme is nudes and earthy tones accented with “a lot of brights and neons,” and what better designer to contribute than Louis Claparols, known for his unusual color combinations and mixed influences. Mr. Claparols’s ready-to-wear is now exclusively sold at Myth along with two other new entrants, JC Buendia and Mich Dulce. In an e-mail to BusinessWorld, he indicated that the Myth gig as “a wish grated” because he’s wanted to be part of the store since it opened, never mind that Myth tends toward the tailored and classic with a twist, while his pieces have a sporty flair, a mix of sports fabrics and luxurious textiles like silk or chiffon. “I’m crossing my fingers that this is permanent… I don’t plan to sell in any other store in Manila — why go elsewhere when you are housed with the big names in Philippine fashion I’m trying to set the prices of my RTW line mall-friendly, but I’m coming up with more elaborate and detailed pieces that the prices would be a bit high,” said Mr. Claparols.
“My market has evolved through the years, so I guess you might say it has gotten older, especially now that I think more on the client side rather than the artsy fartsy stuff that only the fans of the Antwerp designers can relate to,” he added, by way of explanation.