Lee Jeans: Recognizing Raw Talents and Curious Minds in Lee Style Army 2013

Stay Curious.

This is the inspiration that gave birth to the Lee Jeans Philippine Fashion Week Spring-Summer 2014 show. The legendary denim brand presented its Spring/Summer 2014 Collection last Friday night. It was truly an eventful day as the gates opened 6:30 PM for the Lee Jeans Philippine Fashion Week Spring-Summer 2014 at SM Mall of Asia Atrium showcasing more denim innovations we will be seeing at Lee Concept Stores.

There is power that lies in curiosity. It is the force that drives artists in choosing to try new ways of producing art to discover their own style. People discover exciting destinations by turning an unfamiliar corner. These are just some of the reasons why everyone chooses to Stay Curious.

As the year 2014 marks Lee’s 125th year of craftsmanship, the brand refuses to cling to safe and it pushes the boundaries while staying true to its proud heritage.

Inspired by the streets of New York, SM Mall of Asia Atrium was transformed to simulate the streets of NYC and put the audience at the heart of the scene. The audience is left curious as the models walk the runway though unexpected synchronicity, turning corners, to give everyone a closer look of the collection’s detail.

Monochromatic photography develops a fresh and relaxed imagery as a reflection of Metropolitan men and women. The collection showcases pieces that highlight the many possibilities of denim engineering which elevate the look and structure of jeans. The height of the summer is welcomed by colorful creations inspired by digital technology. This is balanced by other pieces inspired formulated by the birth of ideas and possibilities that come to mind as the times slow down. These looks create a fusion of different aesthetics that mirror the diversity of edgy New York styles.

 Casual, chic, and futuristic. Check out this video:

The Lee Spring-Summer 2014 Collection displays re-engineered construction paired with experimental treatment to conventional denims. The collection also showcases Union Made Lee101+ which celebrates the brand’s signature denim pieces. The products are made of 16oz denim selvage embroidered and printed with blueprints of the brand’s iconic creations on the reverse fabric. Fit is celebrated for women with the release of the Lee Stretch Deluxe. These jeans are made of quality Italian fabric with an improved stretch ability and an enhanced shape recovery for an even leaner and flattering fit. Design innovation merges with modern technology to produce this revolutionary denim creation.

Apart from having a rich denim heritage, Lee recognizes the ingenuity of raw talent. This answers the question why the brand was able to adapt to the changing times; choosing to set the trend rather than follow it. This continuous curiosity made it possible to produce quality denim innovations. As one of the many exciting highlights of Lee Philippine Fashion Week Spring-Summer 2014, the audience is presented with reinvented designs for the season with capsule collections from the Lee Style Army 2013.

Lee presents curious and talent students from all over the country for the fourth installment of the Lee Style Army Design Competition. Fashion Design Category is represented by 5 schools. The iconic denim brand has students Patrick Villamor, Paulina Raymundo, and Justin Oropesa from DLS-CSB; Nazer Molina and Charlene Tulinao from UST; Mary Ann Manaloto and Kim Quinola from UP-Diliman; and from the South, Aia Tupas from USC-Cebu; and Van Oscar Tabaloc from UP-Cebu. These young designers produced capsule collections with inspiration from the Lee Philippine Fashion Week Spring-Summer 2014 Collection.  Student stylists James Jason Martin from DLSU, Jameline Shi Hui from DLS-CSB, and John Ariel Karunungan from SoFA were tasked to smarten up these denim creations to produce runway-ready looks.

Capturing these moments on film are Photography interns Noel Fernandez, Jehanne Dy, and Matt Pingkian from USC-Cebu; and Lloyd Santiago from DLS-CSB. Enhancing creative digital output are multimedia savants Dorothea Napay from DLS-CSB and Bernard Gatus from UP Diliman. Fresh ideas contribute to the event marketing thanks to Jessie Abarcar from UST and Janella Silvestre from FIP.

Lee also showcased a Denim Exhibit highlighting the works of 7 brand influencers created during the Denim DIY workshop held at URBN on October 16, 2013. Check out this video: LEE DIY Denim workshop that happened a  week ago. Works by Leeroy New, Turbo Goth vocals Sarah Gaugler, muralist Deejae Pa'este, accessories designer Paul Jatayna, fashion designer Jerome Lorico, ProFormula Racer and designer Mark Bumgarner, and sister, IndyCar racer, Michele Bumgarner truly inspire one’s curiosity as they tell their own unique denim stories through their Denim DIY Creations.

This years top winners were Arwin Villafuerte as Best Male Model; Lin Villacorta as Best Female Model; John Ariel Karunungan as Best Stylist; Nazer Molina as Best Designer; and the team “I am a Futurist” as the Grand Winner of P100,000 for their collection.

What is next? Lee urges everyone to Stay Curious!