During Philippine Fashion Week’s Spring/Summer 2016 run, designer Kaye Morales made waves not only for her rainbow-splashed collection, Rebel, but also for her revelation. As her models strutted down the runway for their final walk, Morales’s words lit up the screen overhead: “I am coming out of the prison of judgment. And these are the things that make me who I am. This is my revolution of self. I am out and proud.”
Drawing inspiration from her own struggles as a woman, the designer, make-up artist and occasional painter shared, “I’m a lesbian and I want to (be) open (about) myself while making the fashion industry a welcoming place for all types of people. I want (others) to understand the different types of sexuality, especially mine, as I come out in this industry.”
Morales’s latest collection serves as a throwback of sorts to her humble beginnings as a student at the School of Fashion & the Arts (SoFA), during which she made her first serious foray into the industry with Schizo, a ready-to-wear line for the young fashionable set inclined to making punk style statements.
Closing in on her first decade in the fashion industry, Morales showed early promise when she won Best Collection for Octopodes at the SoFA’s graduation show in 2010. She had previously attended De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde where she took up production design and interior design.With a slew of short courses, she rounded out her fashion education at Central Saint Martins – University of the Arts London.
Aside from Octopodes and Rebel, the designer has come out with four other collections: Melancholia; Debauchery included in Vancouver Fashion Week’s 2013 line-up; Centipede presented at LA Style Fashion Week 2014; Katana seen at Philippine Fashion Week’sFall/Winter 2015 cycle.Her latest, pegged as “tailored streetwear,” is to be shared with the who’s who of local fashion at Philippine Fashion Week’s Fall/Winter 2016 show.
On the side, Morales has tried her hand in bridal wear with Enchanté, which features dreamy wedding dresses at competitive price points.Being an avid fan of water sports and a certified diver, the multi-hyphenate also came out with a bag line to complement her Spring/Summer 2016 collection. Seen on the runway were backpacks and shoulder bags made from vinyl and cassette tapes; and neon-tinted transparent backpacks for beach use.
Tagged by Buzzfeed as one of “17 Incredible Lesbian Pinays You Need to Know,” Morales will have critics and fans alike wondering what she’ll have up her sleevefor this year’s fall/winter cycle. And judging by seasons past, it will be nothing short of exciting.
For the designer’s portfolio, visit kayemorales.com.