MANILA - Expect the best of designer Lulu Tan-Gan's casual and formal wear at the 2009 Metrowear Icon Fashion Show.

Katrina Holigores, editor-in-chief of METRO magazine, said the fashion show will feature Tan-Gan's trademark knitwear - infused with piña fiber - in a range of "playful and classic knits" to more elegant and formal pieces.

The 50-piece collection, titled "Piña-Knitwear" will be a mix of colors, textures, beadwork, and fabrics. The fashion show will be held on November 10 (Tuesday), 7 p.m., at the NBC Tent, The Fort, Taguig.

The collection will be featured on a set--inspired by the designer's classic and contemporary taste--that includes antique furniture mixed with contemporary ones, courtesy of director Bobby Carmona.

"The wonderful thing about all the fashions is that they are all very versatile. You can use them for traveling, you can layer them, and you can even switch some of them around. So I think it is very exciting for our more frugalistic time," Holigores said in an interview with abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak.

Tan-Gan said in a statement on her official website that she chose knits as her signature pieces because they have unique and universal appeal.

"It is a material that allows for mobility and flexibility, which is perfect for today's fast-paced lifestyle," she said.

'Mother to designers'

Tan-Gan, who has carved a successful 20-year career in the fashion industry, was chosen as this year's Metrowear Icon both for her fashion flair and her support for up-and-coming Filipino designers.

"Lulu's been around for a long time. Growing up, I remember that if you wanted knits, you would go to her," Holigores said. "It's very body-friendly because knits tend to be forgiving if they're cut well. And they're lightweight so you can wear them in the Philippines."

"She's also been almost like a mother to many designers, providing an area for them to show their work via her atelier (studio). In terms of guidance, she's very open to internships and protégées and quite selfless in terms of giving them her inner knowledge like inside information and technical advice," she added.

Since 1986, Tan-Gan has been offering timeless and quality knitwear. She is also a board member of the Fashion Design Council of the Philippines, that promotes Filipino labels to compete in the global market.

Her Metrowear show this year is expected to draw the Philippine fashion industry's elite. Holigores said the fashion show will be attended by ambassadors, high society figures, celebrities, the press, and "denizens of the fashion world."

Previous fashion designers honored in Metrowear Icon fashion shows include Auggie Cordero and Randy Ortiz.

Milestones

The Metrowear 2009 fashion show also marks METRO magazine's 20th year as the country's leading fashion magazine and a tour-de-force in promoting Philippine fashions.

"I think Metrowear has helped the fashion industry by again providing a vehicle for the readers, for the people who like fashion, to see the works of up-and-coming designers and more established designers," Holigores told abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak.

"We give them information on where to buy certain things, what the style trends are and how they can get it locally without having to go abroad. They can get a lot of the fashion-forward items - be it accessories to haute couture, to every day dressing to corporate chic - right here in the Philippines," she said.

The annual Metrowear fashion show is one of the most anticipated fashion events in the Philippines.

It is recognized as a world-class platform for local Filipino designers to promote and celebrate their creativity, ingenuity, and craftsmanship.

The event will also feature a silent auction of fashion pieces by fashion designer Milo Naval and furniture designer Kenneth Cobonpue.

All funds from the event, including a donation from Tan-Gan, will be donated to ABS-CBN Sagip Kapamilya and the Gifts and Graces Foundation. Report by Kristine Servando, abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak. Photos from www.tan-gan.com.