1. GUESS

The Guess? Jeans spring-summer 2007 collection opened Philippine Fashion Week for Retail Brands last Wednesday night at the Glorietta activity center, Ayala Center, Makati.

Women who have made their mark in the world of fashion, who with their sensual bodies and veiled transgressions have caused entire generations to dream: these are the muses for the Guess spring-summer 2007 collection. These femmes fatales who inspired the new collection are: Maria Felix. Brigitte Bardot and Betty Page.

Maria Felix was an Argentinean actress from the ‘40s with curly, brown hair and scarlet lips. In this segment is a skinny stretch jeans with a satin lined waistcoat detailed with studs and rivets; a calf-length, comfort-gabardine skirt in safari tones with a sexy jersey top; stretch denim in basics and in "all new" versions, inspired by the Tango; and an asymmetric trench coat in stretch satin that’s perfect for rainy days; for sultry nights out, there are high-waist skirts, bustiers with leather ties and gaucho chic leather items for making the scene.

That quintessential French femme fatale Brigitte Bardot inspired the maritime theme in part of the collection. All variants of stripes and checks are presented like a tone-on-tone striped top in stretch poplin and a light jean or perhaps a denim piece in tones of rust and chocolate. La Bardot’s face is also portrayed on the trinkets that adorn several distinctive pieces in the collection. It is depicted through the face of Claudia Schiffer in the campaign shot by Ellen Von Unverth in homage to the Guess advertising campaigns of the ‘90s.

Betty Page, ‘50s pin-up queen inspired the last segment. These pieces are for women with an eye for adventure: light dresses in exotic colors and jersey or piquet t-shirts with animal prints. The linen, jersey and tencel fabrics echoes the spirit of the young and sexy Guess girl.

The Guess men’s line has Asian, eastern bloc, and western influences. The collection focuses on edgy, masculine artwork from these. These eclectic influences are inspired by the boutique and west coast menswear businesses in Los Angeles.

Denim in Spring ’07 leans toward medium and light washes, although several darker cast washes typically reserved for fall are making an appearance in Spring ’07, as dark denim moves into a year-round trend. Denim will have fewer holes, instead focusing on localized nicking and abrasions, along with fresh back pocket details such as embroideries and studs. Fashion-forward trends such as neutral-colored denim and skinny leg jeans will begin appearing in in Spring ’07.

Colors for Spring ’07 will stay masculine overall, with pops of bright blues, rich neutrals, and earthy yellows.

Established in 1981, Guess began as a jeans company and has since grown into a global lifestyle brand. Today, Guess designs, markets and distributes full collections of women’s, men’s and children’s apparel as well as accessories. In the Philippines, Guess boutiques are located nationwide.

Mango also presented its spring-summer 2007 collection last Wednesday.

Shown were ‘60s inspired swinging London and the ‘80s fashion dance collection based on the following trends:

Jewel – dresses treated as jewels. Prints are replaced with embroidery or appliqué in metal or crystals.

Birkin – Jane Birkin was a style icon for a generation. The mini-dresses with a sixties feel and prints based on pop art dominate this collection.

Domino – black and white are a safe bet for every season. This season, they come together in monochrome prints and geometric shapes.

Minimal ethnic – an urban, minimalist look with a touch of the exotic and subtle ethnic pictorial prints.

Silver – the metallic look is another must-have this summer. With a touch of lurex or on accessories, silver shines with a light of its own.

Balloon – the latest trends suggest a change in the silhouette. A feature of this season will be dresses with ballooning hems.

White – a total look in white with graphic-based and very definite positional prints.

Short – it’s official, shorts are one of this season’s silhouettes in denim, in colors or high-waisted.

Yellow – this is one of the main colors for this season. Explosive and full of life, it is the color that best captures the spirit of summer.