In a nod to his Filipino heritage, Anthony Alvarez seized on Perfumed Nightmare, a cult 1979 film by indie director Kidlat Tahimik about a young jeepney driver fascinated by the American space program of a decade earlier, and used that as a springboard for a meditation about our place in the galaxy.
“It’s really about humanity, dreams, and curiosity,” the designer observed. Unity, Earth as seen from outer space, and the Voyager Golden Record were all part of a story he summed up as “a space age take on everyday chic.” Apollo 11 and the lunar landing plaque (“We come in peace for all mankind”) made cameos too.
The collection—like the Hello Kitty-meets-Blade Runner set forested with satellite disks and maneki-neko waving cats—was by turns funky, wearable, or straight-up out there. Shirts designed to be worn as long tunics or folded into a shorter version were studded with rhinestones, metallic bombers in coated nylon had quilted embroidery, and archival space images cropped up on message shirts with the words “bon voyage” printed in French and Tagalog.
Here, as elsewhere this week, shine was a big through line, from denim with crystal embellishments or metallic paneling, to puffers in silver or bronze. Tailored outerwear in primary colors looked strong; a wave-like design in turquoise or purple jacquard nodded to jeepney graphics.
In a statement shoe season, Alvarez gamely offered up a hybrid Odyssey boot with metallic hiking trim that can be unlaced, leaving the lower part free to do double duty as a slipper, while Celesta sneakers had heavy-duty soles. The OTT part came in outsized galactic hats to go with faux-fur peignoir coats depicting an alien’s-eye view of our planet and mythical Filipino dragons that looked like extras straight out of Men in Black. A little all over the map, but all in good fun.
