Sassa Jimenez

Sassa Jimenez
Born	(1987-12-17) December 17, 1987 Manila, Philippines
Nationality	The Philippines
Education	Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles
Parent(s)	Abby & Monet Jimenez
Relatives	Ramon T. Jimenez (grandfather)

Sassa Jimenez (born December 17, 1987) is a fashion designer from the Philippines.^[1] Her designs have been described as "frothy", "fun", "polished", "sleek", "sexy", sometimes "too busy", and inspired by "women of the '40s".^[2] She was selected as one of the presenters at the twice yearly Philippine Fashion Week.^{[3][4][5][5][6]} In 2009, she focused her "club glam" style towards "partyphiles" by using snakeskin and metallics to emphasize "glitz, glamour, and sparkle," according to the Philippine Daily Inquirer.^[7] A report in Status Magazine suggested that in 2012 she is moving away from her "signature pretty and sweet designs" and playing with leather, dark colors, and different silhouettes.^[8]

Early life

Jimenez was born in 1987. Her parents are Philippine advertising agents Abby and Monet Jimenez.^[9][10] Her father serves as tourism secretary. Her aunt is Philippine Daily Inquirer’s editor-in-chief, Letty Jimenez Magsanoc.^[9] She studied creative writing at the Ateneo de Manila University. Later, she studied at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles, California.^[11][12] She finished the course in a year and a half and graduated cum laude.^[11] She worked as an intern at "Miss Sixty" doing celebrity styling and public relations. She has a design studio and atelier in Makati, a suburb of Manila in the Philippines.

Reviews

In 2008 Jimenez began showcasing her designs at the Philippine Fashion Week.^[12][13] The event is a twice-yearly week-long event which showcases design talent to display the "distinct Filipino creativity to the rest of the world", according to Style Manila, a fashion website.^[14] A reporter described her collection as "refreshing and feminine, with classic, clean lines and surprising twists. Her long gowns evoke easy sophistication with a delicate balance of streamlined hems and voluminous details."^[9] Another wrote: "Very few established designers would create such a frothy, excessive confection, but in the occasionally bland local fashion industry, Sassa Jimenez is a breath of fresh air."^[11] The styles were described as "fun and frothy, with bright pops combined with dark hues—bubblegum pink, aqua, mustard yellow, hot pink and plum mixed with black, gray, bronze and ivory."^[11] Some designs were described as "too busy" and others looked like they "could have been purchased off the rack from local retail stores."^[11] One outfit was a "black-and-pink dress the model wore featured a balloon skirt and puffed sleeves in a dubious combination of wool and organza".^[11] Another liked Jimenez's Tulle skirt.^[15] Another described a Jimenez dress as "a great Merry Christmas dress: perfect for drinking yourself silly and having your picture taken getting kissed under the mistletoe."^[16]

A reporter wrote "every moment is reciprocated by the swishing of a skirt or a sudden gleam of light from a satin surface", and that the overall look was "polished, sleek, and sexy."^[17] Her styles were described as "polished" and "sleek" with a 1940s look.^[4][18]

Jimenez described her approach:

My vision is to create pieces that have global relevance. I see myself designing outfits that can be worn by anyone, no matter where they are in the world.

— Sassa Jimenez, 2009.^[19]

References