RJ Santos on his Inspirations and Influences for the Randolf Destination 0 Collection

I can liken Randolf’s “Destination 0” to the initial rush of stumbling upon celebrity click-bait: gossip folks biting into lure, expecting a strong hit of that Hollywood juice—only to disappoint themselves with something so unremarkably trivial.

To some of us, ‘prom’ was a big let-down. To a lucky few, the key occasion may have struck a chord or two—I, on one hand, don’t recall any groundbreaking stories. But thanks to the movie industry, high-schoolers of every creed (still) manage to ignite the gaudy fantasy in their heads. While the media elevates prom as the zenith of high school glory, an uneventful night usually argues otherwise; nonetheless, teenagers manage to roll out the red carpet for frivolous rituals in preparation for the grand affair: cracker-diets and prom-posals grander than weddings become all the rage during this season of upheaval. Hollywood did well serving every generation a superfluous concept: from the 80s’ Pretty in Pink to a 90s American Pie, while edging dark bubblegum vintage like Jawbreaker, prom as a clichéd anthem doubles as cult-cinematic flare and coming-of-age glitter.

They say expectation is the root of all heartache and a killer of joy: too bad corny hosts, bland buffets, and less-than-sexy firsts happen to sham the reverie of such doe-eyed anticipation—Welcome to “Destination 0”: a space that floats in betwixt feelings of haze and limbo.

RJ Santos is admittedly no stylista, crediting the creation of imagined worlds as the allure and excitement to pursuing design work. The artist doesn’t draw up a collection in terms of silhouettes and fabrics; rather, the director of Randolf flows according to plot. Highly inspired by film, clothing is merely this storyteller’s medium: “At first, there was this hesitancy to doing commentaries through clothing; I was initially self-conscious about what other people would think—but telling stories is really the core and point to what I do,” the designer quips.

“Destination 0” alludes to the hype and crash of prom: the abrupt blow to an apprehended ecstasy; embedded in his work is a script vaguely existential in nature, clothes winking at us to query escalated musings. RJ’s collection doesn’t ramp textbook; it’s philosophy worn. Not everyone can ably drink from RJ’s cup of edge, but his clothing welcomes anyone raring to saturate their days through the splash of an outfit. So much so that even Nike rallies its take on fashion. Complementing RJ’s conceptual slope is the sneaker brand which specifically sought out to team up with Randolf, marking through creative collaboration their latest line of the Nike React. To RJ, incorporating Nike’s were a breeze: as the sneakers dredged the looks with tinges of high-school gym charm, everything played out cohesive and organic. The designer particularly fancies the Element 55’s; loving the shades of purple and pink that paint the extremely comfortable shoe sweet, he mentions how the sneaker finishes as a flavoring touch without stealing the tone of the entire look.

When asked which pieces RJ favors from “Destination 0,” he boasts of the green corset and his red jacket with sash— “I particularly enjoyed working on the green corset, blue jacket, printed jacket with pant, and the pink dress. The corset took us a lot of revisions; I wanted the bust to look like shells flawlessly transitioning into sleeves. The pieces were actually developed while I was working on them with the sewers. While sampling, I took the liberty to edit some elements; it was fun.”

When it comes to styling Randolf, the designer goes without templates or rules, expressing how his clients manage to light up his senses through their unexpected takes on his irreverent pieces. To RJ, fashion is after all, to each one’s story. For starters, anyone can play with his silk and denim pieces—a subtle cheer lest you can work the collection’s bright, quick-wit into your wardrobe.