Ravenous for Renz Reyes
At Comme Çi, there’s a clamor to be clothed in that aura of cool and air of confidence that comes from Renz Reyes’ impeccably-made pieces.
It’s the first day of Renz Reyes’ solo pop-up debut. For three full days, the fashion community is set to experience an exclusive Renz Reyes display at the multi-brand boutique Comme Çi in Power Plant Mall.
The mannequins stood bare, and the racks were still sparse with clothes. But both the curious and long-time fans of the celebrated designer were already up and about as early as the mall opened, eager to get first dibs on the limited-edition pieces.
Reyes himself finally arrives, carrying two suitcases filled with more of his clothes. And the early birds wasted no time—they shopped right out of his suitcase. The clamor for Renz Reyes’ designs was loud and clear. And by the end of the first day, he almost sold out.
Clear design codes
Titled “Codex of Design,” first unveiled at the Comme Çi pop-up, the collection presents a core Renz Reyes wardrobe. The clothes are at once a statement piece and a new favorite that’s to be worn and styled a million times over, fun with unexpected details and covertly sexy, almost armor-like yet elegantly contoured, and, as always from Reyes, supremely constructed and intensely detailed.
“In ‘Codex of Design,’ we are looking through the codex of the things I’ve done in the past and putting them now in a different context, building core staples within each category—tops, bottoms, and outerwear,” begins Reyes. “And now we are redoing them in different colors, different fabrics, and different sizes.”
“All these clothes, I cut them myself,” he adds, referring to the current display at Comme Çi. “I enjoy this part of the design process, that’s why it shows in the work. It still feels personal to me because I’ve had a hand in all of these pieces. Those cuts, those pattern-making techniques, it’s all very intentional. And I developed it personally.”
On to the business of fashion
Renz has a very strong design identity,” points out Esme Palaganas, co-founder of the PHx Fashion Group. “He’s very self-referential. He doesn’t need to get too much from outside to create his own. And I think not a lot of designers are like that.”
Together with co-founders Trickie Lopa and Joseph Bagasao, the PHx Fashion Group is the forward-thinking force that led to this cumulative effort, supporting emerging Filipino designers as they progress their businesses to a global standard.
“In the market, he really has a voice,” adds Palaganas of the designer. “And people really want to have that voice and buy that voice. His pieces look great and feel great, and there’s nothing else around that looks like it.”
Late last year, Reyes had his first taste of having a space to sell, getting real-world, retail experience through the PHx Fashion Group’s retail popup called PHx Station, held in Greenbelt 5, Makati. Outside of a fashion show and inside the four walls of a boutique, Reyes saw with his own eyes how customers react to and interact with his clothes. “It really lit a fire in me,” recalls Reyes of the experience.
Other than realizing that he had prepared too little stock vis-à-vis the high demand back then, Reyes also began to understand that there was genuine interest in his pieces. “I was surprised that even if I had to sell via pre-order, the demand was still so high. They’re willing to wait on these pieces just to have them,” he says. “That became my motivation. Okay, I thought, I must be doing something right!”
Makings of an of-the-moment designer
On the opening day of Renz Reyes in Comme Çi, Lopa wore an archival Renz Reyes piece, as opposed to one off-the-rack from the current “Codex of Design” collection. “Give a chance to others,” she says with a laugh.
“I look for designers who can translate clothes that you can really wear in real life—that’s what’s important for me,” shares Lopa. The art advocate and style savant has invited over her fashion-forward friends to partake in the rendezvous that surrounded Renz Reyes’ debut at Comme Çi.
“I like putting my own take, to be a little more creative with the pieces I buy, but that’s me—another person might want to wear it as is. And I think the clothes should be versatile enough for that,” she adds.
“In a sense, clothes should express who you are, right?” says Lopa. “It would be great for me if a designer gets who I am. That makes me feel comfortable wearing a designer’s vision.”
Off to a good start
Beyond magazine spreads and fashion runways, Reyes’ pieces are now making it into the wardrobes of Manila’s stylish set—and this is only the beginning. Having held a full-time job for a good 10 years, he finally left and took the leap—and the risk—to focus on and grow his eponymous brand.
Two months later, here he is. “It is really extra challenging, especially if you don’t come from generational wealth—which I did not come from,” says Reyes. “But I really believe in my brand. I will fight for it. If I need to work harder, if I need to hold a job just so I can fund this dream, this brand, I will do so. Because I believe in my clothes.”
