Ellis Co, 21, will debut with a 40-silhouette collection of loose, tailored separates in a fashion show to launch his urban high-fashion label Archives. With help from director Frank Mamaril and creative director Reika Mayani, Ellis is poised to make a splash as one of Manila’s newest designers to keep an eye out on.
He’s young, self-thought and has never apprenticed a single day of his life for anyone. Yet, this has not stopped 21-year-old designer Ellis Co from pursuing his passion for fashion, one of many creative pursuits that has kept him sane throughout the darkest days of the pandemic.
Ellis, who confesses to be inspired by the works of Yoji Yamamoto, Maria Grazia Chiuri, and the late Virgil Abloh, among others, invites everyone to “reminisce about the future” or, at least, how one views it back then, with his upcoming collection “Memoirs of the Future.” Merging the past and what’s to come through design, the 40-silhouette collection is set to mark the launch of his urban high-fashion label Archives, which was established earlier this year.
In making the collection, Ellis took influences from Brutalist architectural style from the ’50s and ’60s and New Brutalism from Berlin and Copenhagen. Known for its monolithic appearance and geometric beauty, the architectural movement is combined with Japanese fashion aesthetic. This makes the collection a showcase of ensembles that reimagines silhouettes aiming to redefine clothing function and reimagine the idea of fashion for individuals.
“I chose the brand name Archives because the clothes that I design are timeless and lasting pieces, and in itself, a collection of historical records,” Ellis, the brand’s founder and director, says. “I perceive these pieces as the remnants of me as a designer for years to come, and years after I’m gone.”
He adds: “For this collection, I tasked myself with redefining function by adding and creating new functions on my designs,” he adds.
This is not he first time Ellis has dipped his toes into fashion. At age 16, Ellis started designing shirts and selling shoes. While working as the assistant VP for operations for his family’s real estate and construction company, Sunwest Group Holdings Company, Inc., he established two fashion brands prior to Archives. In his latest endeavor, he is joined by visual artist Reika Mayani, creative director of the brand.
During a recent press preview, journalists got a glimpse of the “Memoirs of the Future,” presenting pieces designed with the idea of “deja vu” in mind.
“When I design, I’m very focused on the silhouette, how the shape looks, how the piece drops on the body, especially the minor details,” he shares. “Basically, I’m trying to make something that hasn’t been done yet but is still familiar. I try to find the familiar in the unfamiliar.”
Archives’ “Memoirs of the Future” collection will be revealed on July 27 at Whitespace Manila. Apart from the in-person show to be directed by Frank Mamaril, the entire presentation will be live-streamed online. Beyond just a traditional runway show, the collection’s launch promises to be a truly multi-sensory experience with a graphic projection of the line’s inspiration, a taste of the future with a sampling of “molecular” gastronomy and a scent station, all leading to the collection’s unveiling.
For someone who’s also passionate about music, Ellis will also be producing original music for the show.
