Manila Fashion Festival x Garage Magazine: Mark Tamayo

Inspired by suspense thriller character Hannibal Lecter, young designer Mark Tamayo presents his latest menswear collection brimming with layered fabrics, metal detailing, and long garrison straps that exude avant-garde style with clinical precision. Tamayo makes his mark fairly distinct with his choice of celluloid reference by enveloping models in multiple layers of fabrics, which also double as bondage styling.

The designer further elaborates on his muse: “I was inspired by the [movie franchise that features] Hannibal Lecter and thought of creating pieces of clothing based on the characters. [This collection is for] people who are confident, men who know what they want, [and for] those who want to have fun and standout at the same time.”

The result? Tamayo’s summer 2018 menswear edition is not for the faint-hearted. And a clear indication of this is the designer’s favorite look from the presentation. “The all-white ensemble, which consists of an apron and wrap- around dress shirt,” Tamayo relays. “I like it because it is unusual to see a man wearing all white and with an apron skirt at that. It’s both daring and fun.”

Tamayo’s eye for ingenious designs is a breath of fresh air in the local scene. We won’t be surprised when he goes global in the year ahead.-Rey Ilagan