Xernan Orticio’s collection for Holiday 2011 represents the Byzantine architecture—specifically that of church interiors and structures. It’s also inspired by female saints during such era. The ensemble features tailored evening dresses in relaxed nude and nougat off-white colours. Some dresses have glistening gold embellishments, bejewelled with sparkly crystals of drop-shaped and cubic type. Others were layered with unstructured jackets and vests. Sheer chiffon bottom softens the whole rigid look.
Combined with precise cutting details and layering, my fashion offering for this season pays tribute to the sacred forms and icons of this era. – Xernan Orticio
It’s a bit tricky for me to tell whether I could exclusively classify the whole collection as Byzantine or not, but the style really looks that of clergymen at first sight. It looks a bit costume-y to me (think of sci-fi battleship uniforms), albeit I’m digging the one depicting a cross symbol upfront. The long shift dress shown at the latter part would probably be the one I least liked on the collection. The model was having a hard time walking whilst wearing it. On a brighter note, most of the pieces are neatly tailored to perfection.