Klea Pineda and Janella Salvador Wear Matching Filipiniana Looks at a Cinemalaya Event

Every August, Cinemalaya serves as a platform for unconventional yet raw storytelling from different Filipino filmmakers. Back for its 22nd edition, the film festival held its opening ceremony last August 6 in Mandaluyong City.

In line with the event's mission to highlight local talent, celebrity guests followed a Filipiniana dress code. On hosting duties that evening were Klea Pineda and Janella Salvador, who both went for variations of Daryl Maat's signature pad paper barong.

On stage, the couple was visually aligned, each donning endearing illustrations on their piña-crafted looks.

Klea opted for a short-sleeved button-down that depicted a sailboat at sea, making its way towards a lighthouse. Fun fact: the imagery on her top was thematically aligned with the film festival, as the Cinemalaya logo and trophy are called the balanghai, a pre-colonial Filipino boat.

Meanwhile, Janella embodied the "dalagang Pilipina" with a baro't saya characterized by cutesy flower-shaped embroidery. To complement the piece's flouncy sleeves, the actress teamed it with an asymmetrical flowy skirt.

Klea and Janella certainly made a statement with their modern takes on Filipiniana. Their take on couple dressing highlights designer Daryl Maat's craftsmanship and unique referential approach. Deriving much of his work from childhood experiences, Daryl hand-embroiders each piece and uses a variety of colored threads.

In a past interview with Preview, he mentioned that "there's an undeniable charm in the uninhibited creativity of children's drawings, [as seen in] the squiggly lines, disproportionate silhouettes, and whimsical color combinations... My design ethos has always revolved around graphics, techniques, textures, and colors."

Suffice it to say, the ensembles definitely had Klea and Janella looking like the power couple they are. Love the looks, ladies!