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FASHIONPhilippines Milan at Fondazione Sozzani

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<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17596299804064.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>FASHIONPhilippines Milan at Fondazione Sozzani. Handout</div>The Philippines stepped onto one of the world’s biggest fashion stages for the first time, mounting its first solo exhibit in Milan during Milan Fashion Week.The three-day show, FASHIONPhilippines Milan, opened last September 23 at Fondazione Sozzani and spotlighted 11 Filipino designers whose collections fused contemporary cuts and silhouettes with handwoven fabrics, native patterns and sustainable materials rooted in Philippine heritage.“This entire experience opened my awareness to the global aspect of fashion,” said designer Jo Ann Bitagcol, who reimagined Filipiniana classics in natural fabrics for her collection.The showcase marked a milestone for the country’s creative industry. Each designer presented a 15-piece collection, along with three new garments made using Filipino Innovation Textiles (FIT) — fabrics crafted from sustainably sourced abaca, banana, pineapple and bamboo fibers. The materials were developed by the Department of Science and Technology–Philippine Textile Research Institute.Among the participating designers were Adam Pereyra, who created jewelry in sterling silver and gold inspired by Philippine culture; Joseph Bagasao of Bagasáo, who offered workwear separates; and Vania Romoff, who played with volume and refined dressmaking in her feminine designs. Others included Theresa Nepomuceno of Calli, Carl Jan Cruz, Christian Edward Dalogaog of Ched Studio, Steffi Cua of Idyllic Summers, Jerome Lorico, Renz Reyes, and Gabby Garcia of Tagpi.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17596298809681.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>The Filipino designers, with members of the FASHIONPhilippines Milan team, and international mentors Carlo Capasa and Carla Sozzani at the opening of their exhibit at Fondazione Sozzani. HandoutThe exhibit drew leading figures from the fashion world, including Carlo Capasa, president of Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana, Carla Sozzani of 10 Corso Como, Sara Sozzani Maino of Fondazione Sozzani, and showroom owner Riccardo Grassi.</div>In the run-up to the event, the designers underwent one-on-one mentorship sessions with Italian industry authorities. Maino guided them on image marketing, Grassi on merchandising, and designer Niccolò Pasqualetti on brand building. Other mentors included Condé Nast consultant Riccardo Terzo and Le Bon Marché–Paris curator Helena Boissonnas.“It was a lot of great ideas compressed into one day,” Romoff said of the sessions. “They are very valuable for designers who are trying to get into the international market.”The exhibit was organized by the Department of Trade and Industry’s Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), together with the Philippine Fashion Coalition, LIT Consultancy, Fondazione Sozzani, and the DOST-PTRI.To continue the momentum, the designers’ collections will also be featured at Manila FAME 2025, the Philippines’ flagship sourcing show for home, fashion and lifestyle products, scheduled for October 16–18 at the World Trade Center in Manila.

The Philippines stepped onto one of the world’s biggest fashion stages for the first time, mounting its first solo exhibit in Milan during Milan Fashion Week.

The Philippines stepped onto one of the world’s biggest fashion stages for the first time, mounting its first solo exhibit in Milan during Milan Fashion Week.

Filipino designers make Milan debut with first solo fashion exhibit

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Filipino designers make Milan debut with first solo fashion exhibit

ABS-CBN Lifestyle

Published October 05, 2025 10:28 AM PHT

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