Kelvin Morales gives the traditional shirt an edge IN 2020, Kelvin Morales came out with a collection of cloth masks (one of our weapons against the COVID-10 global pandemic) embroidered with the death’s-head hawkmoth ( Acherontia atropos ) — an insect cemented in pop culture thanks to the film The Silence of the Lambs . The masks were eerie; a beautiful memento mori, in that time of death and despair. In 2024, Mr.
Morales has moved on to relatively lighter fare. The young designer graduated from the De La Salle-College of St. Benilde in 2018, and his graduation collection was featured in several magazines, putting him on the radar of some of the city’s fashionistas.
We caught up with Mr. Morales at a menswear event at Rustan’s on June 27, where his edgy collections were recently onboarded at the department store which is otherwise the epitomé of Establishment. “We weren’t super-prepared,” he said about his collections getting picked up by Rustan’s.
“Now, we’re still establishing our internal(s): our business plans and ganiyan (such). “ Pero (but) we’re so happy with Rustan’s; the response of the new market.” Mr.
Morales has been known to dress indie celebrities like singers KZ Tandingan and Unique Salonga, as well as mainstream actresses with artistic bents like Nadine Lustre. “They’re more experimental in embracing artistry,” he said about these celebrities, and his own clientele. At Rustan’s what are stocked are some of his tamer colle.
