EZRA, in his early outings as a fashion designer in the Philippines, was so enamored by the butterfly sleeves, so aptly immortalized by the social butterfly of her own era, the legendary Imelda Marcos. It is stiff and protrudes where the shoulder blades end.

The fabric is often made of pineapple fiber indigenous to the Philippines, and lined with “cana maso” for the standing effect. The complete ensemble is usually cut empire to achieve a soft, voluminous draping in the bodice, perhaps to contradict the sharpness of the sleeves. It became de rigueur for the flamboyant erstwhile Filipino First Lady to wear to state dinners and official foreign visits in her more than two decades of rule that it became her trademark look.

Needless to say, it is reminiscent of the halcyon days of a not so distant past, of pomp and pageantry, of an almost mythical era that exuded sinful decadence, and excesses and intrigues. And in true renaissance form, EZRA takes pride as he reprises the iconic sleeves, albeit subtly.

In his trademark masterful cutting and precision tailoring, he has done away with the cumbersome pleats that stiffen and form the semi oval sleeves and make it appear seamless. He adroitly softens the look and gives it a much more feminine edge and a universal look.