FASHIONPhilippines brings the best of Filipino ingenuity and design to Milan Fashion Week

By September Grace Mahino

After weeks of coaching and planning sessions, 11 Filipino designers are now ready to take on the next phase of the FASHIONPhilippines Milan program. This time, they’re headed to Milan to undergo one-on-one sessions with mentors from the Italian fashion industry before they get to showcase their collections on an international platform. 

FASHIONPhilippines Milan is an initiative that aims to showcase young Filipino talents in the global scene while providing them with firsthand learning opportunities under some of the most respected names in Italian fashion. The program will culminate in an exhibition that will be presented in time with Milan Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2026, from September 23 to 25.  

Among the numerous applicants who had made their bid, those selected to participate in FASHIONPhilippines Milan are part of a new generation of designers, each with their own perspective on style and contemporary Filipino design. They are Adam Pereyra, Joseph Bagasao for Bagasáo, Theresa Nepomuceno for Calli, Carl Jan Cruz, Christian Edward Dalogaog for Ched Studio, Steffi Cua for Idyllic Summers, Jerome Lorico for Lorico, Renz Reyes, Gabby Garcia for Tagpi, Jo Ann Bitagcol for Bitagcol, and Vania Romoff.

Left to right: Select pieces created by FASHIONPhilippines Milan participating designers Carl Jan Cruz, Joseph Bagasao for his label Bagasáo, and Renz Reyes.

In the lead-up to Milan Fashion Week, they will be meeting and working closely with a new cohort of mentors comprised of some of the most respected and authoritative figures in global fashion: Sara Sozzani Maino, Head of Special Projects at Vogue Italia, the founder of Vogue Talents, and the Creative Director of Fondazione Sozzani; RG Showroom founder Riccardo Grassi; Silvia Bertocchi, Head of Cultural Programs for Fondazione Sozzani; stylist, fashion editor, and Condé Nast consultant Riccardo Terzo; fashion designer Niccolò Pasqualetti; fashion and digital creator Ryle Tuvierra; fashion buyer for Gaudenzi Boutique, Giulia Demitri; and Le Bon Marché-Paris (LVMH) curator Helena Boissonnas.

Then, come Fashion Week, the designers will each present a 15-piece collection at Fondazione Sozzani, as well as introduce three new garments created using Filipino Innovation Textiles (FIT). These fabrics were made from sustainably sourced abaca, banana, pineapple, and bamboo fibers, developed under the expertise of the Philippines’ Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Textile Research Institute (DOST-PTRI). To showcase the breadth of Filipino creativity, works from Filipino visual artists will also be installed at Fondazione Sozzani to serve as a backdrop for the fashion presentation.

FASHIONPhilippines Milan is spearheaded by the Philippines’ Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) through its Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM). It is organized in collaboration with the Philippine Fashion Coalition (PFC), LIT Consultancy, Fondazione Sozzani, and DOST-PTRI. 

Left to right: A preview of the collections that will be presented in Milan by Filipino designers Jerome Lorico for his label Lorico, Christian Edward Dalogaog for Ched Studio, and Gabby Garcia for his brand Tagpi.

Programs like FASHIONPhilippines Milan provide Filipino designers access to the tools they need to succeed, ultimately positioning the Philippines as a source for sustainable fashion pieces and creative talent. “It is more than just an exhibition,” said CITEM Executive Director Leah Pulido Ocampo during the initiative’s media launch in Manila, Philippines, in August. “It’s a strategic platform designed to help Filipino fashion designers and brands build relationships with international buyers and global industry gatekeepers.” 

Fondazione Sozzani’s Maino shares the same sentiments. She believes it’s high time for countries like the Philippines to be introduced to the rest of the world as a place worthy of being developed as a fashion hub. “This project shares the values we hold at our foundation: culture, heritage, education, the new generation, and responsibility,” she shared in a video interview for the media launch. “We want to show the global fashion industry that beyond the three or four places that are considered the ‘capitals’ of fashion, there are other countries where craftsmanship and culture are also held in high regard.” 

To further promote the designers’ profiles and brands in the global market, the collections they’ll be presenting for FASHIONPhilippines Milan will also have a dedicated setting in Manila FAME 2025, the Philippines’ premiere international sourcing show for home, fashion, and lifestyle, to be held on October 16 to 18 at the World Trade Center Metro Manila. 

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FASHIONPhilippines is the country’s banner in marketing local fashion enterprises internationally. With CITEM at the helm, the program has brought local brands to top international trade shows and exhibitions, including the Centrestage trade show in Hong Kong and the Asia Pacific Textile Expo (APT Expo) in Singapore. 

FASHIONPhilippines in Milan is supported by LIT Fashion Consultancy and the Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI).

Learn more about FASHIONPhilippines Milan at https://fameplus.com/trade_fairs/fashionphilippines-milan.

CITEM also invites you to the upcoming Manila FAME at the World Trade Center Metro Manila in Pasay City, Philippines, on October 16-18, 2025. To learn more, go to https://fameplus.com/manila_fame.