Rajo's Return

Rajo Laurel is one of Plains & Prints' more prolific collaborators. He's already done 2 previous collections for the brand, and in both cases, my sisters were able to get some pieces from the collaboration.

After the announcement came that he'll be part of the new collaboration for the brand, I was very interested his dresses. So, when the lookbook came, that was the first page I turned to.

Just like the other designers, he was tasked to design 2 dresses. One was a silk dress with a doodle print, while the other was a color blocked dress made of a waffle-textured fabric.

Compared to the other designers' creations, Rajo's looked a bit more subdued. That's why I ended up buying the ones created by Vania Romoff and Randy Ortiz. But when I had the time to really look at both dresses, that's when I began to appreciate them.

Well, the printed silk dress looked very much like the galactic dress from 2011. And since Ate Bullet had that, there was no reason to purchase it.

The second dress, though, had a lot of things going for it.

First, the fabric was beautiful. It had that weight and texture that makes if fall nicely on the body. Second, the cold-shoulder, cape combination was a fresh look at 2 of the more current fashion trends. Third, the play of colors was nice and refreshing.

Taking those into consideration, I decided to add this to my Ate's stash, too.

Four down, any more to go?

A lot like Lanvin

This weekend, there was a preview of the new capsule collection from Plains and Prints. Needless to say, I had to check it out. And when I did, it confirmed my initial observation that this collection was very much "inspired" by the Lanvin & H&M collaboration last September. Observe: A stash from the Lanvin x H&M collection last September. (Not mine, just from the net.) A stash from the Plains and Prints capsule collection. (My sister's stash.) Lanvin x H&M had free tote bags... So do they. Free hangers for every item bought... Free hanger with every item bought. (Too bad they couldn't give away garment bags, too.) But even if the peripherals brought about a feeling of deja vu, the capsule collection of Rajo Laurel is definitely fresh and unique. The fabrics felt so expensive, especially the washed silk that the dresses were made of. And some of the designs were very innovative. My favorites include the dress with the beaded shoulder detail, a jersey draped dress, and the top with a draped collar that could be worn in a multitude of ways. I must say, his 2nd collection for Plains and Prints was a notch or two higher than his first. And that's original.