Epoch | Melissa Clemente Designs Spring 2010 | Toronto | Nov. 26 at Schema : more than ethnic

Epoch | Melissa Clemente Designs Spring 2010 | Toronto | Nov. 26

Fashion today is a reflection of our global mindset. Take a walk down any urban street, and you can find influences varying from British punk, to Indian sequins, to even African tribal prints. Fashion has always been the way that people express their moods, emotions, and outlook to the world. Like any artist, fashion designers take inspiration from their personal lives. For jewellery designer Melissa Clemente, it is the influence of her Philippine roots that absorbs her creative focus.

Since the first time we featured Melissa, her design line, Melissa Clemente Designs, has grown in fame and creativity. Though past collections have wandered across the seas to India and Africa, with her latest collection Melissa returns to the Phillipines as a muse. Epoch, the latest line, is inspired by the contrast of indigenous pagan costumes and the Muslim aesthetic of the people of the north Phillipines—all with a modernized twist.

The pieces of Melissa' first full-length collection are exquisitely constructed and feature lush, gorgeous details in a variety of natural materials. Feathers contrast with heavy gold chains, and swirling bronze coils dangle heavily from the ears. Melissa describes Epoch as:

... homage and a rebirth. It is a step forward while looking to the past. It is a celebration of life, tradition, and a future waiting to be discovered.

Discover Epoch for yourself when it premieres at The Cryptic Canvas, November 26 in Toronto.