A reliable business wardrobe that can accompany young professionals as they make their way up the corporate ladder. (Photo by Noel B. Pabalate)

MANILA, Philippines -- In a workwear collection for Philippine Fashion Week (PFW) themed Urban Chronicles, Memo takes its cue from the contemporary, day-to-night lifestyles of today’s working professionals in a modern and dynamic city. “It revolves around how the city is this huge, living entity that pulses with activity,” says Lia Aranillo-Go, Memo’s brand manager. By offering wearable and versatile pieces in tune with global and fast-paced trends, Memo, Aranillo-Go declares, is giving today’s young professionals “a reliable business wardrobe that can accompany them as they make their way up the corporate ladder” as smart city dressing comes with a chicer spin.

Memo’s upcoming collection is divided into five sections (Metrophiles, The Urban Traveler, City Slickers, Tux Junction, and Black Tie Affair), with each trying to explore corporate and business wear as polished yet not boring. “Smart layering, color-blocking and sartorial touches” are the trends tapped, with a holiday color scheme that goes from light to earthy to dark.

A mix of black and camel served as the highlight of Metrophiles. Little black dresses and suits for ladies came with camel-colored details, striped buttondowns, and black dress pants. Meanwhile, menswear included camel blazers, coats, pants, and vests with black trimming paired with long-sleeved shirts, among others.

The Urban Traveler tries to project a corporate, utilitarian look in dominant hues of khaki and olive. Layering is encouraged, as men don brown or olive, long-sleeved shirts that can be worn under another shirt or topped with a green jacket, completed with khaki shorts or olive pants. For women, chiffon tops—either in gray or earthy colors with patterns—and sleeveless shirts may go with olive or gray skirts or pants finished off with soft blazers or trench coats. A shirt dress is also an option.

Business wear with “a sleek but playful twist,” City Slickers, incorporates denim pieces and blue-and-black ensembles into the workplace. Here, men are mostly clothed in shirts layered with cardigans, blazers, and jackets with dark gray denims and black pants. As for women’s wear, cutout and color-block dresses are prime, together with chiffon tops and long-sleeved shirts worn with jackets and slim fit pants in gunmetal or black.

Black and white go together for “tuxedo-inspired power dressing” in Tux Junction. Long-sleeved shirts for men are fashioned with knit cardigans, formal blazers and coats along with dress pants. Tops with bow detailing paired with pants in various fits (waist wide leg or cropped) are for the ladies, ditto for the color-block dresses and a cropped blazer.

Day-to-night dressing goes for a “mysterious and more serious take” in Black Tie Affair. Menswear are lean fit, long-sleeved tops (some with piping accents) coupled with cardigans or gray blazers with black lapels or suit jackets with piping, which are worn with gray or black dress pants. Dresses for ladies are varied—selection includes a gunmetal A-line dress with padded shoulders, or an LBD with origami folding, among others that can be worn with black coats.

Men’s accessories include messenger-style or carry-on bags, along with leather belts and footwear in brown, black, and gray. For women, shoulder bags and slim belts are key, along with noticeable add-ons such as flapper-style hats and heels.