Color and the wild west have been big inspirations the past seasons and we're glad to see these trends on our local runway. Rob Ortega spins the cowboy look into something sultry and modern for his Vaqueros collection. He does so in a streamlined palette—off-white, neon green, and beige—elevated through the use of patterns and textures.
Fringe, ruching, laser-cutting, and reptile patterns became Rob's aesthetic of choice to upgrade his collection. His take on the wild west trend also borrowed some '80s silhouettes, as seen in his blazer dresses with slightly puffed sleeves.
But what was most eye-catching in his collection were his slinky neon green dresses you can spot from a mile away. With a vision of a brave and bold woman in mind, Rob merges bright aesthetics and a body-hugging form to create a wild collection only the fiercest gals can pull off. Below, we talk to the designer about his collection.
How would you describe your design aesthetic and philosophy?
"My aesthetic is modern classic. I always try to infuse new elements into classic inspirations."
Do you have a signature design or key element evident through your collections?
"I always try to maintain a sexy feminine silhouette in my collections."
Where do you usually draw inspiration from? What about for this specific collection?
"I always tend to be inspired by specific places. It inspires me in a way that I envision a story depicted by the mood and feel of the surroundings. For my Spring 2019 collection, it is inspired by the wild west and entitled Vaqueros, which is the Spanish term for cowboys. I envisioned what a tenacious woman would wear when exploring this harsh environment. This fierce yet elegant woman wears a blend of soft and easy-going pieces, with the unconventional hard elements."
Can you walk us through the creative process you used to design your PMFF collection?
"It always starts with inspiration from an image that can be anything from a place, person, or object. When an image catches my attention, I research topics regarding this and infuse varied inspirations from other points that create a new story for my collection. From this, I design pieces that will be cohesive to the inspiration."
Where can we buy your pieces?
"The pieces can be seen in actual at my studio in Manila, and alternatively they can inquire via Instagram. Dresses ranges from P10,000 to P13,000 while gowns start at P15,000."
Produced by Yanna Lopez and Steph Sison
Photographed by Karlo Torio
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