A passion for fabrics and texture
Rich silks in bright jewel tones combined with innovative fabric techniques illuminated the runway when French-Malagasy designer Eric Raisina presented his Haute Texture collection, for the first time in the Philippines, at the 2011 Fashion Watch.
Essentially a man of three continents, Raisina makes clothes that seamlessly blend different aspects of African, Asian, and European influences.
His collection, with its mélange of colors—fuchsia, turquoise, lime—on dresses, tunics, skirts, and scarves, conjure images of glamorous evenings in his homeland, Madagascar. His specialization in sewing natural materials such as silk, raffia, sisal, organza, linen, and cotton was enhanced by his studies in Paris and his time spent living in Cambodia.
“In this collection, I wanted to express the similarities between Africa and Asia by combining the colors of Madagascar with the fine fabrics of Cambodia. And since I’ve been trained in Paris, Parisian fashion is the glue that puts everything together,” Raisina says.
Now based in Cambodia, Raisina has devoted himself to develop innovative Cambodian silk weaving and dyeing techniques. His signature products: African lace and silk fur have become sought after fabrics in Parisian houses such as Yves Saint-Laurent and Christian Lacroix.
“Each piece in this collection is made of Cambodian silk that are handcrafted with intricate crochet and finely fringed silk fur. This show, for me, is the perfect platform to introduce to the Filipino audience my passion for textures and fabrics. With this kind of collection, one must really feel the clothes to appreciate the beauty of its textures,” Raisina says.
Raisina’s diverse pieces for both women and men are surprisingly very wearable in spite of the novelty in the use of fabrics. Raisina also explains that a lot of his work is also influenced by his many travels which make for a universal yet still very distinct look.
“I create my designs for all kinds of women in the world. Some are very colorful while some are in black and brown. Woman today needs different types of designs from every designer. I don’t have a border when it comes to branding. I like to see my pieces worn by Asians, Europeans, Africans, and Americans,” Raisina explains.
Raisina is the first among several internationally known ASEAN designers to be flown in to the country to display their creations in the new and improved Fashion Watch. A fashion show series initially created by Richard Tann and Inno Sotto, Fashion Watch serves as an avenue for promising young designers to showcase their talent and have their work exclusively available at the event.
“I’m very grateful to Fashion Watch because they have done an amazing work. I am so pleased to have worked with the Filipino models who are not only so beautiful but very professional. I’m also looking forward to meet the wonderful Filipino designers and see all the beautiful fabrics when I come back here. I really hope I can come back soon,” Raisina says. - Article courtesy of Manila Bulletin
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