Vlad Bunoan

Rajo Laurel explores Filipino identity in new couture collection

Article (news)

Karen Flores

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17649212175572 (2).jpg" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Rajo Laurel will present his &quot;Lahi&quot; couture collection in Thailand in January 2026. Handout"/>Rajo Laurel will present his &quot;Lahi&quot; couture collection in Thailand in January 2026. Handout</div>&quot;Who is the Filipino?&quot; This is the question that Rajo Laurel wanted to explore in his newest collection, aptly called &quot;Lahi&quot; after the Tagalog word for lineage.The veteran designer will present his couture creations in Bangkok, Thailand on January 30 next year in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry&#x27;s Malikhaing Pinoy Program, which champions the country&#x27;s creative industries. Helping him put his vision to life are other celebrated creatives, who made accessories for his uniquely Filipino pieces: Arnel Papa, Celestina Maristela Ocampo, Cholo Ayuyao, Monchét Diokno Olives, and MX Studios by Maxine Santos Tuaño. &quot;This experience has truly proven to be quite emotional, primarily because by looking at who we are as a people, I think I found myself,&quot; Laurel said as he gave a glimpse of &quot;Lahi&quot; by unveiling seven of his 30 creations in a recent media preview. Speaking with ABS-CBN News after the program, the designer added: &quot;I think the most important thing as a creative is in order to show yourself to the world, you have to tell them where you&#x27;re from.&quot; &quot;So this is a story of where I&#x27;m from. As I always say, I&#x27;m first a Filipino, I&#x27;m second a designer,&quot; he went on. &quot;This is my country, this is where I&#x27;m from. This is my lahi, this is my culture, this is my heritage.&quot;<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17649271064551 (2).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Rajo Laurel (center) with (from left) Arnel Papa, Maxine Maxine Santos Tuaño, Celestina Maristela Ocampo, and Monchet Diokno Olives. Handout"/>Rajo Laurel (center) with (from left) Arnel Papa, Maxine Maxine Santos Tuaño, Celestina Maristela Ocampo, and Monchet Diokno Olives. Handout The &quot;Lahi&quot; showcase kicked off with &quot;Bagong Barong,&quot; a twist on traditional Filipino formal wear with the addition of a masculine &quot;alampay&quot; (shawl), farmer-style pants, and a jute bib.</div>This was followed by the &quot;Manileña,&quot; inspired by Laurel&#x27;s first memories of his mother going to work. &quot;She used to wear these crisp while blouses and paired them with interesting skirts,&quot; he recalled. The look consists of a large Barong Tagalog made from abaca silk and an eye-catching skirt, which symbolizes &quot;the beautiful chaotic energy that is Manila.&quot;<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17649303774262-Composite straight (2).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="&quot;Bagong Barong&quot; (left) and &quot;Manileña.&quot; Handout"/>&quot;Bagong Barong&quot; (left) and &quot;Manileña.&quot; Handout</div>&quot;Ugnayan,&quot; an archival piece from <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/people-culture-events/2025/12/5/coffee-entrepreneur-michael-harris-conlin-s-my-everything-list-1733">Laurel&#x27;s 25th anniversary gala</a>, added a pop of color to the showcase. The dress features a hand-weaving braid akin to a friendship bracelet, with its colors taking on the earthy hues of Mountain Province.Then there&#x27;s &quot;Datu,&quot; which draws from the heritage of the T&#x27;boli tribe by combining paper silk with ramie linen trousers and the traditional malong; and &quot;Kadayawan,&quot; which is inspired by the fiesta in Davao. The latter features a handwoven straw bodice and cropped culottes made using a technique from Vigan in Ilocos. <div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17649306560513-straight Composite.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="(From left) &quot;Ugnayan,&quot; &quot;Datu,&quot; and &quot;Kadayawan.&quot; Handout"/>(From left) &quot;Ugnayan,&quot; &quot;Datu,&quot; and &quot;Kadayawan.&quot; HandoutNext came &quot;Mestiza,&quot; a modern interpretation of the palma and camisa/blusa ensemble. In this all-black look, Laurel paired a jusi top from Iloilo with a skirt in raw silk and abaca from Abra.</div>Capping off the preview is &quot;Paradiso,&quot; a tribute to the tropical paradise of <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/food-travel/2025/11/17/palawan-among-frommer-s-travel-guide-s-best-places-to-go-in-2026-1519">Palawan</a> which, the designer believes, is &quot;the most beautiful island in the world.&quot; For this creation, Laurel envisioned &quot;a woman naked on the beach, drenched in a thousand pearls&quot; -- thus the nude illusion gown with Palawan pearls and capiz shells from Bacolod. <div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17649304384492-Composite straight (1) 5.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="&quot;Mestiza&quot; (left) and &quot;Paradiso.&quot; Handout"/>&quot;Mestiza&quot; (left) and &quot;Paradiso.&quot; Handout</div>With &quot;Lahi,&quot; Laurel hopes to show the Southeast Asian region and the rest of the world that there is &quot;something amazingly creative happening in the Philippines.&quot;&quot;[I want them to] come to the Philippines, explore, wear our clothes. We are hand in hand brothers and sisters in the ASEAN region. We have the same geographic location, and yet we have different flavors,&quot; he said.&quot;We&#x27;re opening our doors to the world and showcasing how talented the Filipino creative is,&quot; he continued. &quot;And this is just the start.&quot; When asked to give advice to give advice to young and aspiring designers, Laurel spoke of the importance of learning the essentials: &quot;Before you begin to dream of, say, doing poetry, you must learn the correct grammar. Learn the ABCs -- only then can you actually write beautiful sonnets.&quot; &quot;Learn the craft, study, and always be proud of who you are. That&#x27;s the only way you can show the world truly who you are, by telling stories of where you come from,&quot; he ended.

"Who is the Filipino?" This is the question that Rajo Laurel wanted to explore in his newest collection, aptly called "Lahi" after the Tagalog word for lineage.

"Who is the Filipino?" This is the question that Rajo Laurel wanted to explore in his newest collection, aptly called "Lahi" after the Tagalog word for lineage.