ONE OF THE better pieces analyzing the significance of black clothing in the West comes from Anne Hollander’s book, Seeing Through Clothes. In it, the author dives into a history of black (from its use to mourn, deny oneself; or display status, rank, and taste). Still, its aesthetic qualities cannot be denied. Ms. Hollander says, “Black conjures fear of the blind darkness of night and the eternal darkness of death; and in small, carefully flavored doses, such deliberate conjuring is always attractive.”
For designer Chris Nick Delos Reyes, the reasons are more practical. Backstage at his show at BYS Fashion Week last Friday at Makati’s Whitespace, he told BusinessWorld, “I’m colorblind.”
After that surprising admission, he elaborated: “I’m not like a drastic colorblind guy, but usually I mix colors up. So, I stick to black, because I’m never wrong with black.”
Generations of women will agree, since he is basing his collection on two very different women: Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy (the elegant wife of presidential son JFK, Jr.; both died in a plane crash in 1999) and Paris Hilton (the party girl of the 2000s; read our review of her documentary here: bworldonline.com/editors-picks/2020/09/28/319238/our-lady-of-reality/).
The collection was awash in black, of course; with hints of silver here and there. The designer used black silk chiffon, velvet, silk, jersey, and fabrics embellished in sequins. In a nod to the 2000s, Mr. Delos Reyes placed playful slogans on T-shirts (a male model wore the word “cocky,” while a female model wore a crop top with the word “rough”). There were sequined skirts, darling slip dresses, see-through shirts on the boys and the girls, and several dresses trimmed with bows. The bows were a repeated motif in the collection, trimming hemlines, covering breasts, fastening sleeves.
Men and women alike wore tuxedo jackets, which the designer deems a favorite. He said, “It’s a recurring article of clothing in my collections as it is my most favorite piece of clothing.” He gives it a twist though by making them low-waisted. Of note was a black dress with cutouts at the midriff, with bows running down the front, and in the back, a billowing train.
Black has become the unofficial uniform of the fashion world, and in some circles, it’s been seen as safe. Asking the designer how he keeps black on edge, he said, “I put my name on it.” — Joseph L. Garcia