A collection is born: Tadashi Shoji Fall-Winter 2013

MANILA, Philippines – For many fashion consumers, the journey of clothing begins and ends in the retail store. The items that hang on cold metal racks and those worn by mannequins by the windows are simply items on sale unfolded from boxes taken from the storage room.

But for many designers, the journey from conception to consumer is a long one, and it begins with inspiration.

This is especially true in the Fall-Winter 2013 collection of Japanese designer and Hollywood favorite, Tadashi Shoji.

The designer of choice for many celebrities like Octavia Spencer, Kate Beckinsale and Christina Hendricks has often been praised for his mastery of draping. He creates dramatic, tasteful and feminine pieces that often find their way down a Hollywood red carpet or a church aisle.

It was his creation that Octavia Spencer wore when she accepted her Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2012 for “The Help.”

Shoji’s Fall-Winter 2013 collection was unveiled to guests and patrons in a fashion show presented by Rustan’s at the Rizal Ballroom of the Shangri-la Hotel Makati last October. The Japanese designer was sitting front and center. It was held for the benefit of The Assumption Transformative School in Passi, Iloilo.

The show was a culmination of a design process that began with inspiration from the other side of the world.

Inspiration

The “splendor of the Russian Empire and the eventual fall of imperial rule” served as Shoji’s inspiration.

The high-back vestments of Russia’s Orthodox clergy influenced the collection’s back structure, voluminous shapes and trapeze silhouettes.

Sketches

Shoji kept the colors, motifs and details of his inspiration board in mind, and the first sketches of his Russian-inspired collection took shape. Opulent details of filigree embroidery seen in traditional clothes worn by Russian royalty were seen adorning parts of dresses or, in some instances, a whole dress.

Shoji paired rich silk and cut velvet with soft silhouettes and traditional embroidered patterns. Precious gems were veiled with gossamer layers of tulle; bold hues of sapphire blue, burgundy and carmine red were paired with luminescent blush tones of pale pink, rose taupe and snow.

Drama

The result was a dramatic collection of dresses and gowns in deep and rich hues marked with intricate detail. Embroidery was done in the same hue.

Here are some looks from the Fall-Winter 2013 collection of Tadashi Shoji:

View the whole Fall/Winter 2013 collection of Tadashi Shoji here:

– Rappler.com

 

Peter Imbong is a full-time freelance writer, sometimes a stylist and on some strange nights, a host. After starting his career in a business magazine, he now writes about lifestyle, entertainment, fashion and profiles of different personalities. Check out his blog, Peter Tries to Write.