MNLFW 2026: The Lookbook

How has your experience been on the road to the show?

The road to the show has honestly been a mix of excitement, pressure, and a lot of figuring things out along the way. As a small brand, putting together a runway collection at this scale was a huge step for KILL JOY STUDIOS, and I had to learn how to balance developing the collection while still running the rest of the brand. There were definitely moments when I questioned whether we could pull everything together, but the process also helped me better understand the brand. Seeing all the pieces, ideas, techniques, and people that I’ve worked with over the years finally come together on the runway made the whole experience feel very surreal. More than anything, it felt like watching KILL JOY STUDIOS grow up in real time.

What can we expect from your brand in the future?

I think KILL JOY STUDIOS will continue to evolve as I do. I still see the brand as a journal that I’m constantly writing, so I don’t want to define it too strictly or feel like I already have everything figured out.

For now, I’m excited to keep developing the codes we’ve established, exploring new techniques and materials, and building out the KILL JOY STUDIOS universe beyond just clothing. I want the brand to continue feeling personal, curious, and a little unexpected—and to keep finding new ways to make the mundane exciting.

How has your experience been on the road to the show?

It was a rollercoaster of everything. Parang di na ko nawalan ng gagawin up to the runway. Sobrang ngarag niya but also so so so rewarding. I was super tired the whole time but so happy because I’m doing what I love, and I’m pouring out all my feelings through my collection and I’m just so happy I get to do that.

What can we expect from your brand in the future?

Expect more storytelling, more feelings, more theatrics, and in general just a community where femininity is celebrated and embraced.

How has your experience been on the road to the show?

It was chaotic. It was fun. It was absolutely memorable. I will always be grateful for the given opportunity.

What can we expect from your brand in the future?

The MNL runway show is just the beginning of the story. You guys can expect an extended narrative about this saga and era of LILAH ROCHÉ. More sensual, more structured, more dramatic.

How has your experience been on the road to the show?

The road to the show was intense, but incredibly rewarding. Flow State was one of the most ambitious collections we’ve done, not only in terms of the number of looks, but also in the techniques, materials, and ideas we explored. There was a lot of experimentation throughout the process, and seeing everything finally come together on the runway made all of that work feel worth it.

What I appreciated most was being able to present the collection as a complete world. From the clothes to the casting, music, styling, and set, every element was considered as part of the story. Seeing how people responded to it during and after the show was especially meaningful. It felt like an important moment for the brand and a clearer expression of where nicolò is today.

What can we expect from your brand in the future?

I think the next chapter for nicolò is really about building on the world we established with Flow State. After putting so much into the runway, I want to give the collection room to live beyond the show and translate more of those ideas into pieces that people can actually incorporate into their lives.

Moving forward, I want to keep refining the balance between experimentation and wearability that has always been important to the brand. You can expect us to continue exploring new materials, techniques, and silhouettes while staying grounded in our approach to form, function, and emotion. Ultimately, I want nicolò to keep evolving without losing the clarity of its own language.

How has your experience been on the road to the show?

It’s been a lot of work, as every show is, but also really fulfilling seeing everything come together. There’s always something exciting about taking an idea from the very beginning and finally seeing it come to life on the runway.

What can we expect from your brand in the future?

A more responsible way of creating. We want to push further into upcycling, deadstock, and finding new life in existing materials, while continuing to work closely with local craftsmanship. For us, the future is about creating with more intention, without losing the joy and imagination in fashion.

JAG marked 50 years of Filipino denim heritage, movement, and style with “Denim Gold,” part of its F/W 2026 Defining A New Era lineup.

The collection reinterpreted classic JAG designs through sculptural silhouettes, dramatic textures, and modern statement details, bringing five decades of denim history into a new era.

How has your experience been on the road to the show?

Amazing as always! It’s our second time showing with MNL Fashion Week and we’re forever grateful for the trust and support the entire team has been giving all the brands.

What can we expect from your brand in the future?

More fun pieces and hopefully more collections with MNL Fashion Week wink wink! Haha

How has your experience been on the road to the show?

The whole process was a reeducation for me. Being in this industry or in any creative undertaking is an opportunity to rediscover one’s self, capabilities, and position. Collaborating and working with different creative people in the present scope of the industry is both inspiring and reassuring that the Philippine fashion industry is moving towards a more inclusive and global direction.

What can we expect from your brand in the future?

Being surrounded by talented and creative people within the industry during the whole experience was sort of fuel to my fire. I only have an open heart and mind for the direction my brand will be taking in the near future. But wherever it may be, it’s a place where creativity, expression, and identity will always be considered and prioritized.

How has your experience been on the road to the show?

Producing my biggest collection to date was, ironically, the most relaxed I’ve ever been. I think more than the size of the collection itself, what made the experience different was being able to work with the people I trust the most. I was able to create an environment and an ecosystem where trust, respect, and understanding were truly valued. It made the entire process feel lighter, more collaborative, and more enjoyable. It reminded me that the people you surround yourself with can make such a big difference in how you create and experience your work.

What can we expect from your brand in the future?

I hope the brand continues to reach new and bigger audiences. I’m also hoping to explore a cross-industry collaboration or venture into something completely new—something I haven’t done before in my career. As I near my 10th anniversary in the industry, I feel more excited than ever to challenge myself and create something far different from what I’ve done in the past. I think this next chapter is an opportunity to experiment, evolve, and take the brand somewhere unexpected.

How has your experience been on the road to the show?

It’s been a very fulfilling experience. It definitely hasn’t been easy, and while our previous fashion shows gave us some familiarity with the process, every show comes with its own set of challenges and lessons. There were many moving parts along the way, but seeing everything come together on show day and watching the collection come to life made it all worth it. It was exciting to see our ideas, the clothes, and the entire world we created for the show finally come together.

What can we expect from your brand in the future?

Definitely more variety. We want Charlotte Folk to continue making pieces that feel relevant wherever you are and whatever your lifestyle looks like, whether you’re in Manila or somewhere else in the world. We’re also pushing ourselves to experiment more with color, new silhouettes, and different ways of approaching our designs. There’s a lot we’re still exploring, and we’re excited to keep evolving the brand while staying true to what makes Charlotte Folk feel like Charlotte Folk.

How has your experience been on the road to the show?

The road to the show has been exciting but definitely challenging. Preparing for a show of this scale while also running and growing HA.MÜ has made us reflect a lot on how far we’ve come. There were so many moving parts, from developing the collection and production to figuring out how we wanted to tell our story, but it has also been really fulfilling to see everything slowly come together.

More than anything, this process reminded us why we started HA.MÜ in the first place. We’ve always wanted to create freely, experiment, and make clothes that feel personal to us. Being able to bring that into a bigger platform now feels like another step in that journey.

What can we expect from your brand in the future?

I think people can expect HA.MÜ to continue evolving without losing the weirdness, individuality, and sense of freedom that has always been at the heart of the brand. We want to keep experimenting with fashion as a form of expression while becoming more intentional about how we build the brand and the community around it.

A big goal for us moving forward is also to bring HA.MÜ beyond the Philippines and eventually export the brand to an international market. We want to show that a Filipino brand can have its own language, identity, and point of view while still connecting with people globally. We’re excited to explore more collaborations, different creative mediums, and new ways of presenting HA.MÜ as we continue growing.

How has your experience been on the road to the show?

It’s been a huge period of self-discovery. When MNL Fashion Week (John) approached me about doing the show, I was in a very exploratory phase of my life, questioning a lot of my creative decisions and where I wanted to take the brand. Being part of this season’s lineup made me refocus on what I’m capable of doing and dig deeper into what truly inspires me to create for Proudrace. In many ways, the process has been incredibly cathartic.

What can we expect from your brand in the future?

Global and locally rooted collaborations.