Anne Curtis Collaborates with a Young Filipino Designer for Her Preview Ball 2026 Look

At last night’s Preview Ball, Anne Curtis added another milestone to her enduring relationship with fashion as she took the stage to receive this year’s Style Icon award. Recognized for a style evolution that has unfolded both at home and on the global fashion stage, Anne joins the growing roster of personalities honored for their distinct and lasting influence on Filipino style.

Presenting the award was Marian Rivera, who made history as Preview’s first-ever Style Icon recipient in 2023—a fitting full-circle moment from one Style Icon to another.

In keeping with the dress code of “deconstructed creative formal,” Anne enlisted the help of young designer Ziv Rei Alexi, whose body of work draws heavily from the grit and irreverent details of everyday Filipino life.

In conversation with Preview, Ziv reveals that the custom look takes inspiration from an essay by Helen Higgins titled “The Erotic Appeal of Ruin,” which he chanced upon on Substack. The piece explores the beauty that can be found in what is ruined and undone, proposing that “ruin is actually a form of revelation”—an idea that became Ziv’s guiding philosophy for Anne’s ensemble.

“The dress we made for Anne is about the complicated layers of oneself that we usually overlook because we’re too focused on what we see on the outside,” the Cavite-born designer explained.

To bring the concept to life, Ziv layered multiple sheets of chiffon over printed floral mikado, which he describes as “a metaphor for one’s inner self.”

As with much of Ziv’s work, every design element plays a role in communicating a sartorial narrative.

At the base of the mermaid-cut skirt, cascading layers of distressed French lace appliqué introduce a touch of grit. According to Ziv, the detail represents how Anne has continually reinvented herself throughout her career—and how she continues to do so today.

Tracing the halter neckline is a braided hair detail crafted from chiffon which, quite literally, ties the entire look together. “We also took inspiration from scaffold/debris netting which prevents the debris falling out and hides construction activity and the unfinished building from public view,” Ziv further explained.

When conceptualizing his designs, Ziv often looks to the gritty, everyday scenes of Filipino street culture, reimagining familiar details as garments. Each look carries what he describes as a sartorial “heart”—an overarching story that gives the piece its purpose.

For Anne’s custom ensemble, Ziv reflected on her decades-long career and her status as one of the entertainment industry’s most enduring figures. Despite her longstanding stardom, Anne has continued to reinvent herself, a quality that Ziv found particularly compelling and sought to capture through the design.

“Anne is one of the most respected and recognizable personalities in the country, and because of that, people often feel like they already know her. But people only see what is presented to them,” Ziv articulated. “That became the starting point for the dress: layers. Deconstructing oneself.”

Anne echoed Ziv’s sentiments on the dress, stating: “The undoneness of the dress also represents how I feel as a person. I’m continuously a work in progress.”

The Preview Ball 2026 is co-presented by Birch Tree Adult Boost and Dove, in partnership with IQOS*, GCash, and Belo Medical Group, with Event Sponsors Stanley, HONOR Magic V6, and Penshoppe, Giveaway Sponsor Colgate, and venue partner Marriott Manila Hotel at Newport World Resorts.