EXCLUSIVE: A Breakdown of Jaz Reyes’ Filipino-European “Runaway Bride” Look
Jaz Reyes brought her creative vision to her prenup shoot and mixed Filipino formal wear with French designer pieces and staple retail brands
Marriage is all about being yourself and having a partner to share your life with for better and for worse—a cardinal rule that applies to all things, fashion included. Much like one’s taste in food and music, as well as one’s stance on money matters or social issues, the dialogue on how to dress up is one worth engaging into with whoever you want to spend the rest of your life with. And as content creator Jaz Reyes prepares to tie the knot with her fiancé Miguel Sotto, the content creator breaks down how she curated her own style in their prenup shoot—a celebration of their romantic affair with each other, as well as with style.
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The Runaway Bride
With her own way of redefining and revamping concepts, the 32-year-old creative played with the idea of a “runaway bride”. She tells MEGA, “Runaway brides have a bad connotation but it’s the energy of the wedding and the relationship, too. The flurry of wedding planning—the charging towards a new path in life.” Jaz wanted to embody the runaway bride and stray away from what a regular prenup shoot would look like. Her contemporary take to the age-old marriage tradition? Fusing sartorial cultures. “Prenups need to have a story to tell rather than just a pretty image,” the bride emphasizes.
For the base of her look, the content creator began with the dirndl from a traditional Salzburg shop and layered it with Suzy Clothing’s Filipiniana top. Going for a layer-on-layer effect with her prenup number, she integrated traditional Filipino designs by pairing it with a Jor-el Espina skirt—draped and textured out of piña fibers, lace, and weave.
Adding more unconventional statements to her whole ensemble was her choice of footwear combination—Nike socks and Jacquemus double-heeled sandals. It was a true testament to her runaway bride concept, but also of her invitingly eccentric personal style. “It was a shot that I have envisioned in my head for a long time, and I guess inspired by the Olympics,” Reyes explains. For the heel-on-heel white pair, it carried a symbolism for Jaz, too. “Two levels for one heel. Like stepping up in the ladder of life with this new chapter. It was also quite an odd visual that would make people look twice. I like that statement.”
Like a gift that keeps on giving us innovative looks and creative takes to concepts, the content creator topped her whole look off with a touch of coquette—a sleek middle part with a white bow from H&M. “Coquette was my way of doing away with the typical veil,” she shares.
Jaz’s Perfect Pair
Migs Sotto, Jaz’s other half and fellow creative, shares her penchant for style but leans towards comfort. “He is a comfortable dresser, so we needed pieces that he can walk around the streets of Paris with—an ensemble that he can easily shift to,” Reyes explains.
Much like that nuptial adage of something old and something new—but with a twist of modernity—the prenuptial look of the groom was, in Jaz’s words, “a mix of old and new; in terms of traditional versus modern; also in terms of what we already have in our wardrobe with a new piece added to refresh the look.”
The details of the custom barong by Randolf Clothing was proof of they are, indeed, a match made in creative haven. For the European take, embroidered design had two columns—one side had their pets Jiji and Jabibi, the other had a heart with Jaz’s first initial. “It was an added special touch to know when he is wearing the piece, he has us with him,” Reyes shares.
Designer JR Santos, known for his contemporary take on barongs, opted for black bows instead of buttons for a slight feminine touch—meeting the white bow of Jaz halfway. According to him, the embroidery was also inspired by tattoo art. As the content creator shares of the designer’s thoughts, she says that for JR, “It’s like having these memories tattooed on you.”
Love affairs may have stories of opposites attracting, but a relationship does thrive on common ground. In Migs and Jaz’s case, it’s their Jor-el skirt. Migs wore a black piña fiber half piece in collaboration with Viktor. As if taking a cue on the reality of marriage, it’s a number that’s adjustable and wearable as a top—and by Jaz herself even.
A Story Written in the City of Love
For the couple, having their prenup shoot in Paris is a full circle moment—it was like reliving their first anniversary in the same city. But it was not only their story that they brought along with them; for Jaz, the concept runs deeper. “As someone who loves fashion and storytelling, we needed a little something more than just wearing a suit and a formal dress. Filipinos have had many years colonized by the West and I decided to flip the switch and wanted our craft in dressmaking to be the star. It’s time for the East to meet the west rather than the other way around,” she explains.
As Jaz and Migs strutted in the cobblestone streets of Paris, locals and tourists took notice of their ensembles enough to converse with them. This was the chance for them to share the craftsmanship of Filipino designers. “They are meant for the world stage,” she emphasizes. “Fashion design is not the easiest of professions, and I have so much respect for these types of creatives.”
A lot of people aren’t familiar with just how incredible our technique and how rich our history is with clothes-making. Not only do we have mastery of fabrics that are out of reach from Europeans, but we also have many young talented designers who apply these ancient techniques and find ways to modernize them.”
With such a statement for her prenuptial look, Jaz can leave us all wondering what she will be wearing on her wedding date. While she has yet to decide on her dress, she already has her vision solidified. “I do feel like reflecting on my roots—our love story is what is going to drive the design. Maybe some drama with a lot intention is the best way to describe it,” she shares—a concept that’s in true Jaz fashion.
Featured Image and Photos: JAZ REYES
The post EXCLUSIVE: A Breakdown of Jaz Reyes’ Filipino-European “Runaway Bride” Look appeared first on MEGA.EXCLUSIVE: A Breakdown of Jaz Reyes’ Filipino-European “Runaway Bride” Look
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