MANILA, Philippines — 1. The Craft (1996)

Who could forget these girls? The cross earrings, rosary necklaces, and spiked chokers define the cool goth of the ‘90s. Even though Sarah Bailey (Robin Tunney) was the main star of the film, my heart still goes for the antagonist Nancy Downs (Fairuza Balk) for her naturally distinct acting, her dark persona, not to mention effortlessly deviant style.

2. Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)

Fashion and horror are words normally not seen in the same sentence. But in this movie, I really love how the wardrobe was carefully thought of. A Francis Ford Coppola classic, the wardrobe of this movie fuses ‘evil’ with period dressing.  Dracula’s significant hairstyle and red night gown creates such a menacing vibe - the gold embroidery is also noteworthy (red and gold are normally seen as colors of power and dominance). Subsequently, his brides draw attention, too.

3. 2046 (2004)

For fashion and film enthusiasts, Wong Kar Wai’s 2046 needs no introduction. Mixing elements from old and new, this movie is known for its artistic take on science fiction (Best Art Direction, Hong Kong Film Awards 2005) and futuristic renditions of the Qipao and Cheongsam (Best Costume Design, Hong Kong Film Awards 2005). The film is a marriage between worlds, an appealing concoction of art, fashion and moving images.

4. Kontrobersyal (1981)

The story of Lino Brocka’s Konrtobersyal revolves around the life of Karina (Gina Alajar), who wants to make it big in the local film industry. Most parts of the film showed scenes where they were ‘taping’ on set. Since Karina and Mers (Charo Santos, Karina’s manager) were in the entertainment industry, they had to be in the trendiest clothes that time. The styling was pure ‘70s high fashion and what could be more blissful than pairing it with the two actresses’ high-caliber acting. Each scene is definitely fashion-worthy.

5. Party Monster (2003)

This movie is an ode to each and everyone’s crazy side, either in dressing up or just the attitude. Also, it can serve as a reminder that Fashion is always and forever will be borderless. It may be a shocker for some but at the same time it shatters the boxing constraints of society on gender roles and appearance.