Fashion aficionados and trendsetters just witnessed the awe-inspiring spectacle that was “Sinulid 2024” at The Podium’s The Atrium this month. The annual display of style and innovation, of course, is the hallmark event for the graduating Fashion Design and Merchandising (FDM) students of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) School of Environment and Design.
Fittingly themed “Beyond Boundaries,” Sinulid 2024 served as a dynamic showcase of ingenuity, creativity, and the limitless potential inherent in the art of fashion design. With over 60 meticulously crafted ensembles, this retrospective not only celebrated the culmination of academic endeavors but also offered a glimpse into the future of fashion as shown in today’s spread.
The event was formally launched by The Podium Assistant Mall Manager Anthony Ryan Sales, Benilde FDM Chairperson Ionica Abrahan Lim, Benilde FDM educators and mentors Olivia Lopez and Lydia Pajaron, and FDM student and Sinulid 2024 representative Micah Alyanna Gomez.
The guest of honor was Evangeline Flor Manalang, head of the Technology Transfer, Information, and Promotion Staff of the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Textile Research Institute (DOST-PTRI).
The gallery housed over 60 scene-stealing ensembles, which took viewers on temporal and spatial journeys in the multiverse of fashion. Each piece was meticulously conceptualized and handcrafted by the budding talents, who translated their varied narratives and experiences into explorations of the infinite diversities of identities and existences.
The collection, which ranged from ready-to-wear garments to couture mainstays, channeled the young artists’ advocacies to break expectations and address prejudices about what it means to be a designer in the 21st century.
A cocoon-inspired maternity line likewise stood in contrast to whimsical childrenswear that transported attendees into the vintage glam of the ’50s. Also displayed were creations that delved into the idea of escapism, embodied a sense of healing, and captured the Filipino spirit of music.
Sinulid 2024 was definitely a shining moment not just for the graduating students but for the Philippine fashion industry too, as it signaled the entry of a new breed of designers carrying on what they have learned from the day’s fashion experts while seamlessly weaving them with their generation’s powerful and promising inclination to identity and originality.