It was a night of fashion, music, reunion, and new beginnings at Unaricci’s high-spirited event, co-presented by Philippine Fashion Week, last Jan. 24 at Dr. Wine Poblacion. The brand’s founder-CEO and designer, Nina Ricci Eleazar, launched a collection that she describes as “reinvention—working with linen in a high-fashion context and merging Unaricci’s early beginnings with fashion accessories with the brand’s current design aesthetic.”

Professional dancer Lema Diaz opened the program with an amazing freestyle performance to ‘90s hit “Ghetto Superstar” followed by the much-awaited mini fashion show. Live music was courtesy of Bacolod’s rising acoustic duo Russ and Daph, and sets by legendary DJs Mick Martinez, Elmer Dado, and James Mccranie made the night even more memorable with nostalgic tracks from the 1990s and early 2000s. The event also had special participation from Tropical Nomad, Wanderskye, Wine Drop, and Kanebo.

“I wanted to open the show with dance and movement, reminiscent of my college days as a former dancer (with Lema), “ says Nina. “The first part of the fashion show features a couture linen textile crafted through horizontal and vertical paneling, creating a patterned base that embraces a raw, distressed aesthetic with deliberately unfinished edges throughout. This was also accentuated by equally labor-intensive handmade florettes. The second part gives a glimpse of how Unaricci entered the retail industry with chunky fashion accessories, this time woven onto the clothing pieces, creating a luxuriously edgy yet comfortable look.”

Nina and Unaricci’s Margaux Salazar describe the evening as a celebration of friendships, real connections, and sharing their passions with the community they have graciously built. This is also the start of the duo’s venture into doing more events and collaborating with brands and talents for uniquely curated experiences.