Dress of a Woman – Alan Del Rosario
Feminine and fierce, with the scent of flamenco spirit–ah yes, Alan Del Rosario’s fall 2006 fashion show was ultra-sexy! From the sway of the models’ hips to their face-off strut with camera flashes, his sophisticated collection has the kind of international flair that makes you want to skip out on your 8 to 5 and visit that exotic land you’ve been dreaming about. With such extravagance and dressy detail worth witnessing, Del Rosario’s fall collection is definitely not designed for the tame and timid.
Off the bat, his inspiration was alive and kicking: … The sights and sounds of Barcelona, Madrid, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, and Manila … the movement of flamenco dancers and even Spanish beauties Penelope Cruz and Selma Hayek, as well as globe-trekker Angeline Jolie, mesmerized me. This collection is infused with a fiery, tempestuous strength. And what else has worked its way into the launch of his new couture line? Gypsy style from around the world also poured through his use of “bold, ornate, modern yet ancient textures,” while hoping to maintain a level of “American sensitivity.”
I sat front row with eagle-eyed intent, and my focus immediately gravitated toward the beauty before me: the flattering cuts and styles wonderfully designed with regard for feminine curves. Penciled skirts in a variety of fabrics puckered out from the knee down, and form-fitting silk pieces actually created a svelte look, nothing close to frumpy or cumbersome. And with peek-a-boo midriffs showing forth here and there above classy high-waisted skirts, it was hard not to imagine slipping these unique designs on and walking along with the best of them.
With excitement in the air, the debut of “Alan Del Rosario” follows the recent development of “Del Rosario,” his contemporary line of women’s clothing that lost its place a few years back due to a financial blow. Now with a clearer understanding of the American market, Del Rosario is fired up, in high demand, and full of determination.
“It’s about serious women too,” he says. “As much as I do love to show their sensuality, I don’t want to compromise their intelligence. They have to be smart and feel sexy with no apologies.”
Sticking with the basics, Del Rosario shied away from the typical chocolate flavor of the season, yet showed off dynamic combo contrasts of grays, blacks, whites, with bloodthirsty, fiery red in the midst of it all. Through unconventional bustiers and silk gowns, oversized roses and bows, tiered floor-length skirts, black lace dresses, strikingly-high slits, and splashes of leather, Del Rosario delivered a show that made you feel gutsy just watching it. Think evening wear at its bravest–or better yet–its sultriest, in which he adorned with lace gloves, canes, sheer veils, sun umbrellas (parasols), and piercingly-pointed stiletto boots.
According to the words of Del Rosario, evening wear is “the opportunity to catch a woman at her most feminine, her most glamorous. It’s the moment she feels like a star.” And with male models reluctantly, yet promptly, following estrogen-charged steps on stage, he especially depicts his view about women in the Latin culture.
“I’d like to enhance more what women are about and try to empower them–for them to enjoy and embrace their sensuality,” says the Filipino-bred designer who once led a civil engineering career before pursuing the ever-evolving world of fashion design. “I come from a Latin culture, and these women are very, very strong. The bottom line is the woman controls the home.”
The dress of a woman is something worth exploring, and as I exited Stage One that third day of Fashion Week, I imagined a little flaunt of my own along the catwalk, twirling an umbrella in hand, covered in couture, with a gaze that could kill. Alan Del Rosario feels it, and so did I: looking sexy is all about feeling it too.
Written by Elana Pruitt
