Future of fashion College of Saint Benilde-School of Design and the Arts associate dean Cynthia Funk, Lectra’s subsidiary manager Richie Hashimoto and SM’s SVP for Marketing Communications Group Millie Dizon.

Mallgoers once again got a glimpse of the future of fashion with the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde’s recent “Sinulid: Stories Unraveled” exhibit and show held recently at SM Aura Premier.

A joint project of the De La Salle College of Saint Benilde’s Fashion Design and Merchandising Program and SM Aura Premier, the exhibit serves as a culminating activity where the graduating students can apply all the concepts and techniques they’ve learned in school.

Isabelle Chinjen’s merchandising showcase modernizes Philippine textile, using it for street wear or high fashion designs. The Merchandising and Styling Group featured their personal brand concepts through a retail set-up. Their showcase and conceptual styling transformed the Aura Atrium into an array of pop-up shops. The Design Group, on the other hand, showcased their collections in an exquisite runway show at the mall’s Samsung Hall.

Inspired by a photo from the 1900s which features a multi-racial family of Filipinos, Chinese and Americans, Anna Galang’s brand Ansuelta, meaning “acculturation,” only uses organic fabrics from India. This year’s theme, “Stories Unraveled,” highlighted the source of the students’ inspirations — from architecture, arts and movies to personal trials like mental illness, hearing impairment and scoliosis. There are also the influences of our own as well as global cultures: Bukidnon and Meranaw cultural communities, Harajuku, K-pop, Spanish matadors and flamenco.

Gabriella Fumar’s styling showcase focuses on genderless fashion. The students also employed impressive fabric manipulation techniques: origami patchwork, 2D effect details, 3D appliques, laser cutting, quilting, smocking, ombre dyeing, beading and hand painting. They worked with various types of fabrics: piña, jusi, tulle, mesh, macramé, denim, knit, leather and even organic ones.

After the runway show, selected students were awarded Best Exhibit Presentation, Best Design Concept, Best Brand Concept, Best in Surface Design, Most Innovative Collection and the Sinulid Emerging Creative Talent.