Lauded by the best of his peers, art wear artist designer Jun Jun Ablaza is an artistically ambitious man with extraordinary talent. This places him among the most innovative designers of contemporary fashion. Known to society for his oeuvre with an unparalleled imagination, his take on fashion is fun and one with aesthetic values. Held at the Manila Fashion Festival “Beyond” at the Shangri-la Edsa Hotel’s Marquee Tent, the maximalist artist wowed the crowd with his Neon Nirvana collection. Seen mingling with the fashionistas were his parents, Consul Louie Ablaza, with Jun Jun’s lovely muses, his mom, Consul Mellie Ablaza and sister Czarina Ablaza Syquia, who are his most supportive models. The mother and daughter tandem dresses oh-so creatively in every fashion event of Jun Jun.
The inventive artist used raw materials, including deconstructed security vests in neon yellow, green, and orange; reflective tapes and polyester meshes recycled as dresses and asymmetrical tops; inflatable life savers repurposed as wearable abstract art; raincoats and windbreakers converted to tops and long layered dresses, which were showstoppers with the way he tailored and fashioned these together. ARTcessories were his Ablaze neckpieces of colorful diving goggles and for sandals were rainbow hued bungee cords used as laces. Sheree Chua modeled a poncho-inspired creation of a hundred-fold colored tape measures. Daniela and Brazilian-Japanese top male model Hideo Muraoka‘s daughter modeled another, a cape of multi colored measuring tapes. There were hooded raincoats and windbreakers and Jun Jun himself wore an oversized puffer wrap made of inflatable banana beds.
Jun Jun’s S/S 2018 collection was received with resounding applause. Seated at the front row were fashion designer Michele Sison, Faaabvlous photographer Rupert Jacinto, Marivic Vazquez, Carlo Rojas, Joy Rojas, U-Ned Algabre, Kyle Vergara, Jurrish Sledge, and Evangeline Conliffe. Special mention to Roko Arceo, Jun Jun’s most trusted fashion stylist.
