After 17 years in the industry, Martin Bautista held his first solo runway show and unveiled a collection for the divine feminine
For BYS Fashion Week, Martin Bautista has presented us a journey of femininity, a concept that the designer does best, but this time evolved and elevated. He showcased his signature drapery, all bathed in a radiant, summer color palette, with silhouettes that showed just the right amount of skin to highlight was a true Mautin Bautista woman is—free and filled with confidence.
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In a collection that features womenswear, we see the experienced designer play with bright textiles, sheer drapes, and crinkled crepe to depict the woman “in a perpetual state of summer,” Martin described. While these aren’t new to Martin Bautista, he is thoughtful in where he cuts and how he drapes to make sure that these make sense in a woman.
What makes this collection new to the eyes of the audience? His debut collection is composed of new silhouettes, as well as materials from creased crepe, sculpted taffeta, and tie-dye jerseys with Philippine mother of pearl accents—these are all contributions of his thesis: restraint and flow; of control and calmness.
“It has always been about balance as well as exploring the possibilities of what can be done differently in occasion wear or day wear.”
– Martin Bautista on “Day Off”
His pieces could be worn on the beach, on a sunny day in Greece, even in the neon lights of a party. His works show versatility of not just the pieces he crafted but the versatility of his muse, the woman.
Martin Bautista’s collection is for the divine feminine, from the way she is fluid, moody, beautiful, soft, and free. She is who she wants to be, and Martin just knows what the woman wants.
Photographed by TIMOTHY DUEÑAS
