Seen on the Kashieca runway: Ways to wear your little black dress

MANILA, Philippines – Fashion Week is about showing the newest and trendiest, but sometimes, going back to the basics provides a brand with a fresher feel, offsetting the parade of trends coming down the runway.  

Such was the strategic move employed by casual wear brand Kashieca, which recently showed its collections on Sunday October 27, as part of Philippine Fashion Week.  

The highlight of the collection included a collection of 5 LBDs (little black dresses), with one design each from popular female fashion designers. 

Runway looks for retail brands are often styled to showcase maximum versatility, and this show was no different. There were several models showcasing different ways to style the same dress, and each dress had a different feel and cut, as created by the designer. 

Take a look: 

‘Easy chic’

Maureen Disini showed off her “easy chic” dress, a cold-shoulder dress with a deep vee neckline and gathered fabric at the waist.  

On the runway, the dress was shown both with and without the peek-a-boo shoulders, with a thick and thin belt, worn over pants, and paired with flats. 

This type of dress might be ideal to transition from work to a semi-casual evening party. Accessories, of course, play a key role in defining the waistline, creating a new shape versus wearing it in its original form. 

‘Modernist’ 

Bea Samson’s “modernist” dress featured a shimmery pattern on the dress, lending the look a textured feel. Though the bodice is simple, the dress extends in length on either side. 

Because there are already several style elements to this outfit, the runway styling opted to let the dress talk for itself.  

There’s an edgy, sporty feel to the runway look, but the dress can just as easily be worn under a full a-line skirt for a fresher take to a feminine silhouette. 

‘Party dress’

Sassa Jimenez is well known for her flirty, very ladylike dresses in vibrant colors like pink and teal. The current offering in collaboration with Kashieca is black, but it retains her playful vibe.  

Her “party dress” features the collection’s most elegant, classic neckline – straight cut from shoulder to shoulder – then cascades downwards into a full miniskirt, with a shiny finish. 

The runway looks varied mostly in terms of accessories – from a pearl necklace to patterned tights – and in terms of footwear, which changed the feel of the looks completely. 

‘Romanticist’ 

Vania Romoff has always been about understated elegance, and this was the predominant vibe from her contribution, called “the romanticist” dress. 

The knee-length dress is modest and sweet, and like in most of Vania’s creations, the feminine appeal is unmistakeable.  

The ribbon at the midsection allows the wearer to adjust and define her waist, and as seen on the runway, one can choose how much she’d like to button up. 

The dress screams for stiletto pumps and a vampy red lip, but the runway styling for this dress was among the more creative, presenting a few other options.

A sweater thrown over the dress and worn with brogues lent the ensemble a slouchy feel, while another look featured a sassier take on the dress via a mesh camisole worn underneath. 

‘Minimalist’

True to Milka Quin’s feminine but modern sensibility, her contribution, the “minimalist” LBD, is a simple shift dress with sheer panels strategically woven into parts of the outfit. 

Brogues and patterned tights, plus heavy eye makeup, factored into the runway styling, but it works just as well with patent pumps (go for pointy) and simple, dewy makeup. 

The dresses cater to a range of different shapes and sizes, as well as across a number of occasions, and the collaboration with the designers also contributes to the more premium appeal of this capsule collection. 

The collection is modeled by fast-rising star Liza Soberano, who was seated in the front row with Ben Chan. Kashieca is one of the brands under the Suyen Corporation, headed by Chan. – Rappler.com

All photos by Mark Cristino/Rappler