MANILA, Philippines—Florals? For spring? No.

Young designer Chris Nick‘s clean, sleek, and edgy line of womenswear, continues to challenge what the modern woman should, and is expected to wear, in a bold release for SS/22, showcasing a melange of crisp lines, signature pussy bow tops, and unapologetically sultry low-waisted and sheer skirts.

In “Made to Measure”, presented with jewelry from Tiffany & Co., De los Reyes, fuses elements of the ’70s and the sartorial and culture-shaping movement of the 2000s for a disco explosion in blacks, blues, and distinctly Chris Nick materials of sheer, sequins, and feathers.

Photographed by Advan Ramirez.

In a press statement, he writes, “I was way too young, to live the way the fabulous women of the 90s and 2000s did, I was quite literally five years old, so I could only live vicariously through what I saw on magazines, the Internet and television.”

The 17-piece collection is inspired heavily by bold women in the midst of the aughts, with the free unencumbered spirit of women in the disco era to represent a carefree Chris Nick woman who is playful, complex, and whole. Talking about this inspiration factoring in on his established and ever-present design ethos, the designer highlights, “There was just something so effortlessly cool about it, growing up it’s what I wanted to be and it has stuck with me that was the definition of cool— of sexy. ”

Photos courtesy of Chris Nick

He shares, “My recent trip to New York City introduced me to a new perspective of embracing newness and sexuality and just fueled my obsession with discotheque even more— an element always present in the collections I’ve made in the past.”

Staying grounded on his signature clean lines and meticulously-structured design pieces with enough room to play with from new silhouettes and fabrications, the collection showed short-hemmed and tubular-cut dresses, micro mini and maxi skirts, chiffon cover-ups and crop tops. The collection also presents the designer’s first designed pair of shoes, dubbed the “Club Platform.”

Photos courtesy of Chris Nick

As is customary in every collection, De Los Reyes reinvigorates the Filipiniana with an edgy twist. He says, “Filipiniana butterfly sleeves are also incorporated into the collection every season because truly it’s such a beautiful piece of history and I would like to change the perspective that wearing Filipiniana is synonymous [with] a themed costumed party or a formal event— I want to see it out during the evening on women having fun and feeling sensual in it and not restricted.”

In his showing from the previous season, Chris Nick has taken on the vibrant nightlife scene with an unapologetic nod to Studio 54, with a pop of color, sharp clinical pieces that bring women’s unequivocal sense of freedom and empowerment, making statements and clear declarations of their sense of self through fashion.

In the end, the young designer highlights the value of fashion and its power and capability to mirror the times and reflect the zeitgeist of the ever-evolving generation. He ends, “One thing important to do with fashion is to capture a moment by taking what is currently happening and being aware of that and turning it into something real. Creating something for the contemporary current woman. What great fashion does is it’s relevant in a way that it’s a sort of a mirror of the present society and culture at any given moment in time.”

“Fashion evolves very quickly and so the people.”