Freego taps vintage style to bring sexy back to denim

Freego is undertaking a very ambitious fashion project. The local clothing brand wants to encourage Filipinos to be more daring when it comes to denim. This, brand manager Jet Syquia admits, is something of a challenge. Most Pinoys, after all, still prefer their jeans plain and simple. Bold basics “For a long time, Filipinos have been sticklers for basic cuts when it comes to bottoms because they tend to think that it’s their tops that have to be more updated," observed Syquia. “They have only recently begun to really appreciate more fashion-forward styles and denim treatments as alternatives to their standard issue jeans." At the Philippine Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2010 last October 22, Freego showed the public exactly how denim can be more daring. Aside from ensuring that fitted silhouettes hugged the body in all the right places, Freego’s new collection makes a fashion forward statement by using elements from vintage or timeless style. Vintage inspiration Among the many influences of Freego’s latest collection is the “carelessly tailored" American gangster look of the 1920s and 1930s for the men’s line. The jeans sport classy, polished looks with added flamboyant or rugged twists to keep them from looking overdone. Colored tints, glazed finishes, and metallic embellishments can be found in the lineup of men’s jeans. Freego likewise threw in Western cowboy and Native American-inspired elements such as leather details, studs, and fringes.

The women’s collection was envisioned as feminine and edgy—what with Chicago femme fatale Velma Kelly (played by Catherine Zeta Jones) as inspiration. Special coating treatments, as well as metal studs and leather, adorned the women’s jeans. The “biker" element was also brought in to spice up the collection. Freego also showed off their latest innovation for women’s jeans called “jeggings." The style hybrid is a cross between skinny jeans and leggings. Designed to give women the perfect contours, Freego’s jeggings come in three variations: Super Skinny jeggings with ribbed waistbands, Clinger jeggings with garterized waistbands, and 3D Fit jeggings with regular waistbands. Timeless trend Syquia asserts, “Filipinos should now realize that you can also make a strong fashion statement with ‘more exciting’ jeans. We want to take advantage of the opportunity and give them even more options to choose from." That being said, denim will always be in style—whether it’s plain and simple or embellished with the season’s most eye-catching fashion trends. -Faye V. Ilogon, GMANews.TV Photos courtesy of Freego