Kaye Morales: Rebel on the Runway at Philippine Fashion Week

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Kaye Morales is the eponymous brand that offers clothes ranging from avant-garde gowns to off-the-rack pieces with a unique style statement that stays true to the brand’s vision of dark as enlightening, the rocker chic trend as sophisticated, and the odd as extraordinary. Her collections have been featured in both local and international shows, most notable of which are the LA Style and Vancouver Fashion Weeks. British Vogue has also penned a designer profile published in its Jan. 2014 issue.

Kaye Morales embraces men and women of all backgrounds with ‘Rebel,’ the designer’s collection for Spring/Summer 2016 set to hit the historic runway on Nov. 28, 2015 at Philippine Fashion Week – now on its 20th season. Dedicated to people of edgy yet chic sartorial inclinations, the latest line features tailored and wearable pieces that come in bursts of neon, fun prints, and playful embellishments.

Drawing inspiration from her own struggles as a woman, Morales shared, “I’m a lesbian and I want to (be) open (about) myself while making the fashion industry a welcoming place for all types of people. I want (others) to understand the different types of sexuality, especially mine, as I come out in this industry.”

Morales’ latest collection serves as a throwback of sorts to her humble beginnings as a student at the School of Fashion & the Arts (SoFA), during which she made her first serious foray into the industry with ‘Schizo,’ a ready-to-wear line for the young fashionable set inclined to making punk style statements.

This season, she wants to “let the audience feel that I haven’t lost (touch with) that side of myself (as a designer) and with what I’m really good at.”

‘Rebel’ takes streetwear, as done by Morales, a notch higher with creations that are an eclectic mix of neoprene, leather, denim, and tulle made for different types of men and women, and inspired by key facets of her own personality – feminine, sporty, and rocker chic.

Divided into three segments, the Spring/Summer collection is set to open with colorful pieces the designer expects will appeal to the lipstick-wearing, more traditional demographic. An extreme sports enthusiast, Morales dedicates the second part of her show to neon and printedsportswear for a broad spectrum of sexes that allows the simultaneous enjoyment of easy style and adrenaline-induced high.The designer closes the show with an homage to rock ‘n roll –leather, black, and skulls.

Morales played around with fabrics in neon pink, orange, yellow with her signature black and red to come up with pieces that look and feel androgynous. That characteristic combined with impeccable tailoring and touches of theater in design tie in ‘Rebel’ with the designer’s more couture collections of seasons past.

“It will have vinyl and cassette accessories because music is part of (who I am). It’s where I get my inspiration from,”the SoFA and Central Saint Martins – University of the Arts London alumna said.

Alongside the reinvention of streetwear comes the launch of the Kaye Morales bag line featuring backpacks and shoulder bags made from vinyl and cassette tape. An avid surfer, the designer also throws in backpacks for beach use. Neon-tinted transparent backpacks playfully round out the Spring/Summer accessories from the design house.

Follow the ‘Kaye Morales’ page on Facebook; @mzkayemorales for personal updates and @kayemoralesintl for designs and collection updates on Instagram. For the designer’s portfolio, visit kayemorales.com.