In contrast to Manila’s characteristic brightness – from the sun by day and from city lights by night – fashion designer Kaye Morales has created a world of inky blacks, stark greys, and fiery reds through her Holiday 2015 collection, Katana, to be presented at this year’s Philippine Fashion Week.
Passionate about the arts, Morales took up production design and interior design at De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde then pursued fashion design at the School of Fashion and the Arts (SoFA) with further studies taken at Central Saint Martins – University of the Arts London.
Nearing the end of only her first decade in the fashion industry, she has earned distinction with feats such as winning Best Collection for her first line, Octopodes, presented at SoFA as a graduating student in 2010; having her Debauchery Collection included in the Vancouver Fashion Week 2013 and her Centipede Collection take the stage at LA Style Fashion Week in 2014. Amidst all this, Morales still found time to launch punk rock street wear brand, Schizo.
Prior to this latest holiday line, the designer welcomed 2015 with her bridal collection called Enchanté, which featured dreamy, elegant wedding dresses at competitive price points.
With Katana, Morales has produced the latest in a sartorial trilogy (the first two installments being Melancholia and Centipede). “My past collection (Melancholia) was very dark,” she said, and mirrored her emotional state as she worked on its pieces. While Katana shares a similar color palette and modes of construction with its precedents, its story cannot be more different. “Now, it symbolizes my strength; that I overcame those experiences.”
Named after and inspired by the iconic Japanese sword, Morales’ latest line illustrates the transformation of raw steel into one of the finest weapons in history through meticulous craftsmanship.
“It’s a painful cycle of destruction and recreation until all the impurities are filtered out. Until finally, only something refined, infused with soul, and beautiful just by being can emerge,” the designer elaborated.
Using neoprene and power net in black, grey, and red as her tools of choice, she manipulated them into all sorts of women’s and men’s apparel. They range from dresses, sweatshirts, and gowns to kimonos, blazers, and harem pants featuring Oriental iconographies, detailed embroideries, basic cut-outs, and digital prints. “Thus, the clothes become more than garments, they become warrior stories,” Morales concluded.
Be there as Kaye Morales paints the city in her signature black, grey, and red with Katana for Holiday 2015 at Philippine Fashion Week. Visit kayemorales.com for her latest designs and events.
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About Kaye Morales
KAYE MORALES is the eponymous brand that offers clothes ranging from avant-garde gowns to off-the-rack pieces with a unique style statement that stays true to the brand’s vision of dark as enlightening, the rocker chic trend as sophisticated, and the odd as extraordinary. Her collections have been featured in both local and international shows, most notable of which are the LA Style and Vancouver Fashion Weeks. British Vogue has also penned a designer profile published in its Jan. 2014 issue.
Follow along on Facebook: “Kaye Morales” and Instagram: @mzkayemorales (for personal updates); @kayemoralesintl (for designs and collection updates). Call +632 519 0523 or +63 917 320 7550 to set up an appointment at her freestanding store, Kaye Morales Atelier, located at 8862 Sampaloc Street, San Antonio Village, Makati City.
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For more information, kindly contact:
Reynaldo Rubio | Monsters Centaur Production Inc.
pr@monstersproduction.com | M: +63 927 665 8669