Preview magazine hosted a cocktail event and fashion show for the launch of the Preview Emerging Fashion Talent Awards (PEFTA), featuring this year's batch of Ten Designers to Watch: Jona Ballaran, Enrico Carado, Jaz Cerezo, Kenneth Chua, Camille Co, Noelle Llave, Nixon Marquez, Stacy Rodriguez, Vania Romoff, and Michelline Syjuco.

Every year, Preview issues a list of the hottest young design talents in the Philippines; but starting next year, the list won't just be a list anymore—there will be a competition among the Ten Designers to Watch, the winner of which will receive mentorship from industry professionals and an entrpreneurial/business management course sponsored by HSBC. The aim of PEFTA is to help one budding design talent each year to maximize his or her potential as a fashion designer by helping them turn their fashion passion into a successful enterprise.

Here's how it goes: Five names out of the Ten Designers to Watch starting next year will be nominated by fashion design schools such as Slim's Fashion and Arts School, SoFA Design Institute's School of Fashion and the Arts, Fashion Institute of the Philippines (FIP), La Salle College International and the University of the Philippines. These talents have to be graduates of their respective fashion design courses (the Preview  team stresses the importance of having a complete education as the foundation for being a successful fashion designer). The Ten Designers to Watch will then showcase their special capsule collections in front of a panel of judges, who will then determine a winner based on criteria such as creativity, craftsmanship, and retail potential.

This year's roster of Designers to Watch heralded the PEFTA project with a fashion show of their most creative crystal-themed visions. Each designer showcased three looks that embody their design aesthetics through the crystal theme. The cocktail event was also an opportunity for these young designers to mingle and network with fashion industry bigwigs to upstart their commercial bearing and acquaintances with fashion design veterans—an opportunity that Preview aims to maintain yearly.

Present last night were Myth retailer Ruby Gan, Freeway and Ensembles owner Sheree Gotauco, The Ramp's General Manager Xandra Ramos-Padilla, Bayo owner Pinky Estrebillo, Slim's Fashion and Arts School's Mark Higgins, SoFA Design Institute's Amina Aranaz-Alunan and Loralee Soong, as well as FIP's John and Paul Herrera and representatives from La Salle College International.

Also present were fashion design professionals Rajo Laurel, Frederick Peralta, Aries Lagat, Emi Jorge, Joey Samson, Ivarluski Aseron, and Ronaldo Arnaldo, among many others.

It was a night of success as the event opened doors for this year's batch of promising young designers. Not only was it an avenue for them to attain exposure for their work, but they also made the acquaintance of potential retailers, suppliers, and other industry professionals who are all more than willing to lend their support.

Click on the photo gallery to view the PEFTA fashion show.

Click here to view the stylish guests at the event.