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Celebrating the ultra-feminine, fashion designer Alexis Bong Monsanto presents 'Timeless Confections' for this year's New York Fashion Week
"Fashion became the perfect vehicle for translating my creativity into real-world fashion designs," says Filipino fashion designer Alexis Bong Monsanto, who recently debuted his new collection at New York Fashion Week (NYFW).
Titled "Timeless Confections", the sophisticated collection is overflowing with soft tones, flirty structures, and more important, elegant style lines—all of which Monsanto has mastered over time.
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BTS of Monsanto's NYFW runway
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At the young age of 15, Monsanto had already envisioned himself becoming a designer.
"Our family had a summer vacation in Manila where I saw my first fashion show at the Harrison Plaza. It was Rusty Lopez jeans and I said to myself, 'This looks amazing, I can do this too!' And from then on, I started to develop my taste, sense of style, and colour coordination skills," he recalls.
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"I’ve always considered myself very creative. In addition, I was a born leader. In high school, I directed plays, performed and choreographed dances, won many poster drawing contests, and decorated sets and stages. When I was in college for my pre-med course, I was asked to design our internship uniform."
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The designer often draws inspiration from the vibrant streets of the Philippines, a place he calls home, which Monsanto sees as "a mixture of Spanish culture melded with the dreams of Hollywood glamour." Some of his influences also include the works of Dali, Picasso, Monet, and Renoir.
Learn more about Monsanto's brilliance and NYFW collection below:
Above Photo: Dion Trinidad
Above Photo: Dion Trinidad
Photo: Dion Trinidad
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Which collection are you most proud of?
I would say this current collection I call “Timeless Confections” is my favourite of all.
Who was your muse for the collection?
For this collection, my muse is Audrey Hepburn. I would remember her in movies like Roman Holiday and Sabrina. She wore different silhouettes, from long & lean to small waist and big hips.
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They are soft and ultra-feminine. Short and flirty pleated skirts, accents of bows, sheer, sexy and sophisticated. The colours are pastels, very sweet. The style lines & designs are timeless, classic & very elegant.
Above Photo: Dion Trinidad
Above Photo: Dion Trinidad
Photo: Dion Trinidad
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Above Photo: Dion Trinidad
Above Photo: Dion Trinidad
Photo: Dion Trinidad
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What was the vision behind the collection?
It’s about confections, they are sweet. The video wall shows it all. Macarons are a high-end confectionary. They are subtle and soft and delicious. They appear in discerning retailers and restaurants and are loved by foodies.
This is also reflected in their colours. They don’t scream at you… they entice you to try them. And they are bite-sized. They help you not to overindulge.
So, they are for sophisticated people who know what they want. So as my designs.
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Credits
Photography: Dion Trinidad
Christine Andas is a features writer and the style lead of Tatler Philippines. She mostly covers style-related content but enjoys writing about space, sneakers, and her favourite stars. She acquired a master's degree in Creative Writing at the University of Santo Tomas and has written young adult short stories which can be read online.
