Crispin & Basilio, a new label.

Sisa is that you? Lol. Apparently, Crispin & Basilio is one of L.A.'s hottest new labels. How fun! Nylon magazine calls him as one of the "young talents changing the face of L.A. fashion," and Elle and Women's Wear Daily name him a "designer to watch." I can just imagine how Americans pronounce the brand ("crisp-en" and "basil-eeyo", or not, lol). Anyhoo, I don't know if he was ever featured here in Manila or Rated K, chos, but I chanced upon this amazing Filipino designer when he was featured in Elle magazine last November 2007 (with Scarlett Johansson as the cover).



Donny Barrios was featured under New Designers, in Elle Fashion News. Barrios' collection they say, "celebrated the ease and unaffected sophistication of American sportswear in a decidedly elegant yet modern and casual way." Wow. He was actually raised in our beloved country and then trained in menswear design at New York's Fashion Institute of Technology, although he eventually designed women's clothing as well.



Why the label? Barrios says with his designs, he tries "to approach everything with an unaffected, naive eye... Crispin and Basilio made their mother crazy - I also have that feeling sometimes toward my clothes. They make me good-crazy, though. At the end of the day, I always want to tuck them in and see them tomorrow."



His 2007 Fall collection is said to maintain his signature formal but organic aesthetic, of relaxed and deconstructed men's and women's eveningwear. His collection is available around the U.S., Canada, France, Japan and Indonesia. Why not Manila?