Nowadays, the battle of the brands seems to be about “the bolder the better.” Brands tend to distill all their energies into creating the next big disruptive thing, and this goes for minimalists and maximalists alike. However, Billy goes the opposite direction by keeping things simple without sacrificing impact. The brand’s F/W 2019 collection at the Panasonic Manila Fashion Festival proved that there’s no harm in going back to basics, and maybe the next big thing is a thing of the past—literally.
Billy designed a future-ready collection by recovering past styles or references from various sartorial eras. The references may not be obvious from the outset but the devil is in the details. The collection makes use of tried-and-tested silhouettes as the canvas to emphasize such details. The colors of choice? Jet black, sand and khaki, silver gray, and cosmic red (proof that the fashion of the future doesn’t have to be too wild).
Each color seems to act as an element that harks back to certain details from different decades. For example, the black set of ensembles recall ‘90s slip dresses and ‘80s rock ‘n’ roll leather. The silvery set featured subtle Victorian-style bustier details and mutton sleeves. The troop of sand and khaki pieces was brought back to the future via ‘50s sunnies and ‘60s mod mock necks and geometric paneling.
Among the ruby red outfits, the standout piece was the snazzy, corset pantsuit complete with a glitzy blazer that’s literally fastened with a buckle. It’s probably how girlbosses of the future would dress, and we’re not complaining.
In a word, Billy makes a case for the paradox of “classic futuristic” fashion. The collection suggests that putting modern outfits together (maybe twenty years from now) shouldn’t take much thought because you only need to look back at past cult favorites and use a little imagination.
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