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Lifestyle
Never mind the heat, there's no stopping the stocking
It was raining Wednesday night in Makati City on November 15 and on my way to Zuellig Sky Garden all I could hear was the endless honking of cars because the traffic was unbearable—I was afraid I’d miss the holiday collection show of commercial hosiery brand Leg Love. Upon my arrival, I questioned whether hosiery is even big in the Philippines—a hot, rainy tropical country. What is it about hosiery that make Leg Love designers Renan Pacson, Pablo Cabahug, Bianca Valerio, and Ferdi Salvador keep going with their collections? It is because hose, stocking and socks are great accessories for both men and women. The right pair of stockings can set off a simple dress, while printed socks can give businesswear a different twist when worn with confidence and assurance.
Renan Pacson's I love Hue collection
Being young and free with Renan Pacson “The collection is all about being youthful, celebration of youth, the feeling of, you know, it's just really about having fun being young,” said designer Renan Pacson about his collection, I Love Hue. The designer drew inspiration from arts and crafts present in his melted-crayon, paper-cutout, and confetti-like playful patterns. “I was able to tap into my younger years na you know the feeling of being pasaway. It's freedom and restlessness and youth and just having fun,” he said. His whimsical collection pictured someone who loves to mix prints and is experimental with fashion, someone easygoing and free. And true enough, his runway show was very laidback—the models wore varsity jackets, shorts, plaid skirts, simple dresses, and rubber shoes while showcasing the collection. “There's also room for playing around with the stocking. You know, it's not very dictating na you can only wear it this way. It's always versatile. You still control your personal style with it pero you have that platform lang. The color choices are there to give you a foundation of your playful wardrobe,” said Pacson. 
Pablo Cabahug's Leg Love Series
Just like a movie for Pablo Cabahug "It's all about sad couture, its full emotion. It has bolder and stronger patterns. Compared to my last collection for Leg Love, this collection is more aggressive,” said Pablo Cabahug. The designer, whose previous work was on the safe side, tried something new this time, drawing inspiration from a black and white ’50s French movie about a widower who falls in love with a “black widow.” “The aesthetic is very new to me because I'm on the safer side, but now I try to incorporate bolder and stronger patterns for this collection,” said Cabahug. Intricate abstract patterns blossoming from trial and error mark his sultry, all-black stockings, fit for a strong and empowered woman aged 25 to 40 who knows what she wants and is not afraid to experiment. Cabahug’s collection is sexy without effort because the patterns tells it all—and it can definitely create a different image for every woman wearing them, just like in movies where a woman can disguise herself by changing her outfit. 
Bianca Valerio's Leg Love Couture
Bianca Valerio's Fifty Shades of Hosiery “The whole inspiration behind it is ‘sexy time.’ I think every single woman really wants to feel desirable,” said Leg Love Couture designer Bianca Valerio when asked about her latest collection. Valerio drew inspiration from rock stars—the attitude and personality every one of her models brought to the runway embodied the pizzazz of someone who believes in herself—and in this case, her body. “You know everybody has always wanted to be a rock star and with or without the music, it's just the attitude of being a badass, of being a rebel. So that's what the collection is all about,” she said. Valerio came up with a collection that would give the illusion that the wearer has “supermodel legs,” and using details like gems, glitter, and her trademark kiss mark, all on the back. According to her, “When I look at the back of a woman's legs, that very streamline, it makes them look longer…I think it looks a little classier when it's at the back. Most designs for stockings are designed at the back because usually when in front nakakalaki siya ng thighs.” The collection gives the wearer a mystery to hold on to: you stare at her from head to toe and just follow her every move because she is someone wanted and sexy. “I really wanted to make sure that it's just not for thin people... What my goal has always been is to make everyday people feel beautiful,” Valerio asserted. 
Ferdi Salvador's Elements Gold Toe
Ferdi Salvador knows how to express feeling in color “I just really what them to have color in their lives," said Ferdi Salvador about his latest Elements Gold Toe collection. The designer drew inspiration from travel and from people who surround him who are adventurous in what they wear and who don’t think that color tests their masculinity. "I want people in the Philippines, especially men and some women…to express themselves in a different way because there are a lot of socks that you can choose from,” he said. His collection for men has something for everybody: his three-part runway show showcased versatility for both working and non-working men who are not afraid to “add color in their lives.” He designed fashion-forward pieces including printed socks in vivid colors in addition to the more traditional black, gray, blue, and brown socks. “What I'm just trying to push is that you can be more adventurous; you know what I mean. [W]e've got it all for you because it has a lot of pieces that you can wear. It has something for everybody. That's what I'm trying to create on the spectrum of Element,” he said. Ferdi’s organic collection using bamboo, modal, and tenso really pushed the limits of the traditional hosiery pieces for men—keeping them masculine while adding a touch of playfulness. — BM, GMA News
