Shopping Finds

I wasn’t supposed to cover Sassa Jimenez’s solo show for Philippine Fashion Week Holiday 2009 collection, until my daughter told me that I just had to because her batchmate in high school was the designer herself. That got me curious. My daughter is just 21 years old so that means Sassa is just in her early twenties. What a talented designer Sassa is. I love the smooth and feminine designs so suited to the young ones like my own daughters. Just see for yourself.

(Click on thumbnails for larger photo)

In Sassa Jimenez’s Holiday 2009 collection Revelation, the use of fabric is integral to the movement of the garment around the body. Every moment is reciprocated by the swishing of a skirt or a sudden gleam of light from a satin surface. A garment imitates the grace of a dancer’s movement and the glamour of a young socialite. Style icon Dita Von Teese is also used as inspiration for her effortless marriage of allure, edge and modernism.

The overall look is “polished, sleek, and sexy”, epitomizing a confident woman who looks put-together and radiates inner beauty no matter where she goes or how she is dressed. All of her pieces highlight the womanly figure, in classic silhouettes that have added fresh and modern twists —be it in the choice of fabric or styling.

Beyond the technicalities of her design, however, it is in this collection that Sassa communicates her vision for the modern woman: To be fashion-fearless and secure in themselves, in clothes that bring out their different dimensions. Sassa creates a personal revelation for the wearer herself as she discovers aspects of her personality that she may not have seen before.

The Dresses tell the Story
Sassa Jimenez reveals her journey as a fashion designer through her latest collection

In a grand throwback to old Hollywood, Sassa Jimenez found a glamorous muse in Dita von Teese. Though the greatest coquette of our time goes burlesque in her raunchy performances, it is what she wears when out on the town that Jimenez finds endlessly fascinating.

“Dita dresses up like a screen goddess from the 1940s,” Sassa gushes. “I think she’s an amazing woman, and her waist is so small —like 20 inches!” Whereas her initial foray into Philippine Fashion Week was about edginess and trendiness, Sassa’s Holiday 2009 delights celebrated the classic and romantic.

“I was just excited to show another point of view and a style that I specialize in,” enthuses the 22-year-old design wunderkind of her aptly entitled 45-piece show, Revelation. “I revealed something that people haven’t seen from my first collection. I wanted the pieces to be classic and timeless and have staying power like the little black dress in a woman’s wardrobe.”

As she peeled every layer of von Teese’s extensive style spectrum to inspire her work, Sassa also unearthed personal traits she never knew she had. “I have discovered in my dealings with new clients and as I was developing my collection that I can be outgoing as well,” discloses the mild-mannered designer, who turns on a newfound vivaciousness.

She may still be feeling the local fashion waters and its various characters that go with the flow, but Sassa is quite adept already at adjusting. “I keep an open mind. This is fashion. So anything can happen. I have no expectations so there won’t be any disappointment,” she says.

Revelation showcases pieces that highlight the body’s movement through clever fabric choices and construction.

What she expected, though, are the valuable lessons she learned after her first showing. “I’ve learned about planning ahead so I was not stressed mere minutes before the show. I’m not afraid to ask for help because I can’t do everything by myself,” Sassa says. “I have built relationships with people I have worked with in the process. It keeps me inspired.”

Being in the fashion business entails lots of work, Sassa knows this by heart. “There are meetings and sleepless nights. Doing a collection is less glamorous than most people think,” she muses. “Otherwise, this is a fun place to work at.”

Sassa has become more pragmatic and is embracing all of womenkind. “I made clothes that were trendy but not too faddish. They were clothes that can be worn over and over again,” she says. “But older clients liked the freshness of the clothes. They were something new to them, not dated, not like off-the-rack clothing.”

In Sassa’s latest collection, it’s the subtle but meticulous details that make all the difference, allowing a dress to completely transform the overall look of its wearer.

She reveals that she designs according to her moods. “Design comes out when I’m extremely happy. It’s an emotional thing rather than seeing something that should inspire me. During the design process, I usually play around. Then there’s a moment when I find something that could work then I’ll build on that. It’s something random, which is what happens when you’re an artist and a designer,” she admits.

Revelation is essentially a journey of self-discovery and acquiring a fearlessness that helps reveal another aspect of the woman wearing the clothes.

For “Revelation,” Sassa delved deeper into another facet of her design persona. “It was experiencing what other people feel when they have their clothes made. The collection was based on a client’s mood rather than mine. Like she’s wearing something different but at the same time I didn’t want her to feel that she’s not herself.”

Pieces of lovely, feminine simplicity prove that the look of elegance and refinement remains relevant in fashion’s ever-changing landscape.

Sassa has effortlessly created the classic-with-a-twist look with her current pieces —the twists being elements that hint of edgy sophistication.

Contact Sassa Jimenez
DressForm Inc.
+632-8921163 or +63915-2411236
Email: sassa_jimenez@yahoo.com

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