Everything You Need to Know About MNL Fashion Week 2026

MNL Fashion Week returns for its second edition this week.

From September 3 to 6, 11 homegrown brands and designers—emerging and established names alike—will unveil their latest presentations at the SMX Convention Center Aura in Taguig City.

Following its inaugural run last year, the four-day event continues its mission to champion Filipino talent and to position the Philippines as a key destination for fashion in the region. This year, personalities and media representatives from across Southeast Asia are set to fly in to see Filipino designers' work firsthand.

With growing interest in local fashion, as evidenced by last year’s turnout, the production team behind MNL Fashion Week has also set its sights on expanding the event’s scale.

“One of the key learnings from last season was to never underestimate the support of the community towards local designers,” MNL FW Founder and Executive Director John Lozano tells Preview. “It turns out, there’s a lot of interest in local design and products. It’s not that we didn’t believe it; we just didn’t expect it to be that huge, and it was overwhelming in a good way.”

This year’s roster brings together a diverse mix of independent labels and designers, reflecting the many directions Filipino fashion is taking today. From rising talents to established fixtures of the contemporary local scene, each participant was selected for having what John and his team consider a “clear point of view.”

“[These are] designers who look at themselves as brands, and brands who have a very clear identity,” John explained when asked about how this year’s designers were shortlisted. “We also take into consideration their accomplishments and milestones so far and how relevant they are for the year. Other factors include a clear cult following, social media presence, and craftsmanship, of course.”

Ahead, meet the designers and brands featured in this year’s lineup and get a glimpse of what to expect from their presentations.

Nicolo Perez returns to the runway after two years. Set to open this year’s MNL Fashion Week, the designer has his sights on “expanding the world of Nicolò” with a collection that now encompasses both womenswear and menswear. When asked to describe the collection’s energy, Nicolo puts it succinctly: “Bright, optimistic, sensual, and a little escapist.”

Titled “Flow State,” the collection reflects on Nicolo’s relationship with work and creativity. “It’s divided into three parts inspired by Sisyphus, Narcissus, and Icarus, representing repetition and discipline, reflection, and finally, ambition and pushing an idea as far as you can,” he tells Preview.

A sense of progression and world-building will guide the presentation. Drawing from his background in menswear, the collection begins with structured, utilitarian silhouettes before gradually moving toward more fluid and expressive forms. “By the end, I want it to feel almost euphoric, like that moment when you stop thinking about the work and become completely absorbed in it,” he shares.

Expect an interplay of contrasts, from varying degrees of transparency to a considered mix of textures and tactile details. “There’s more surface work than I usually do, but I’m keeping it within the clean language of Nicolò,” he concludes.

Read the full runway recap: Nicolo Perez Sets the Tone for MNL Fashion Week 2026

In 2026, Yong Davalos marks her 15th year in the fashion industry. To celebrate the milestone, the designer is mounting her biggest collection to date—one that brings together ready-to-wear, menswear, and one-off runway pieces into a cohesive narrative.

“Beautiful, until it isn’t,” was how Yong described the energy of her collection.

“I wanted the show to feel like watching the world change in real time. There’s softness, optimism, tension, and eventually hope,” she says. “It’s less about making a statement and more about leaving people with a feeling.”

At the center of Yong’s design philosophy is a commitment to sustainability and eco-conscious production. Through her apparel line Yong Studio, she regularly creates resort-ready apparel with local artisans, primarily using deadstock fabrics.

For her upcoming MNL Fashion Week presentation, Yong introduces a sense of weatheredness to the soft and romantic silhouettes the label has become known for.

“I’ve always been fascinated by how something so beautiful can also be so fragile,” she explains. “This collection begins with nature at its most abundant, then quietly follows what happens as climate change slowly changes the world around us.”

Read the full runway recap: Yong Studio Goes Back to Nature for Its Runway Debut

This year, MNL Fashion Week is giving its platform to three emerging designers. In a joint showcase, Lilah Roché, Killjoy Studios, and Yana Kalaw will each stage their runway presentations for the first time.

Lilah Roché’s design language is defined by her exploration of proportion and garment construction. Hips are deliberately exaggerated, waists are cinched to a T, and a distinct sensuality runs through much of her work.

For her upcoming collection, however, Lilah turns to the golden age of Philippine cinema for inspiration. Titled “Sampaguita Queenpin,” the young designer draws from noir Filipino action films from the late ’60s to the early ’80s.

“For this, I am doing a reimagined female version of Asiong Salonga,” she shares, referencing the notorious Manileño gangster from the ’40s whose life has been widely portrayed in many Filipino action films.

“I chose this concept because of my parents. I grew up watching their favorite action movies,” Lilah explains.

To bring the vision to life, Lilah builds upon her existing design codes, expanding her signature aesthetic through the lens of a dark femme fatale persona. “This time, the collection is super dark feminine energy,” she notes. “She could be a James Bond fantasy.”

Helmed by Eugene Mabalad, a Preview Creative 25 2024 honoree, Killjoy Studios continues to build on its gritty, street-inspired ethos. Titled “KALYE TREZ MIXTAPE,” Eugene conceived the upcoming collection as a continuation of his previous work, “Rotonda.”

Framed from the perspective of someone who grew up in Manila, the collection follows the designer as he further explores—and seeks to define—what the Killjoy Studios identity is.

“Beyond the clothes, the models’ looks, movement, colors, proportions, and production all come together to create what I hope feels like a sensory experience that screams KILL JOY STUDIOS—while still feeling like a work in progress, because the brand itself is essentially a journal that is constantly being written,” he explains.

The designer describes the presentation as “energetic, slightly chaotic, and nostalgic,” while still carrying a sense of newness. “I wanted [the show] to feel like stepping into a memory that has been distorted through music, nightlife, fashion, and the perspective of someone growing up in Manila,” he states.

For her MNL Fashion Week debut, Yana Kalaw posits the idea that femininity cannot be confined by gender.

A queer woman herself, Yana has long been drawn to telling stories about queer women. With this collection, she looks back on how she has learned to embrace femininity on her own terms. “It’s about embracing femininity in spite of feeling like I always had to fit in a box as a ‘tibo,’” she narrates. “[The collection is] giving gay. I think that’s one word that can really describe it.”

Yana’s design DNA is best recognized through voluminous, larger-than-life silhouettes. While much of her previous output has focused on ready-to-wear, the designer is taking a more bespoke and camp-forward approach this time around.

“You can expect bigger silhouettes, new fabric manipulations that I’ve been working on, and a reignited fuel to embrace femininity,” she states.

Read the full runway recap: These Three Young Designers Are Shaping Filipino Fashion’s Next Chapter

At last year’s MNL Fashion Week, designer RJ Santos bared his heart through a 36-piece collection. Ensembles burst with color and volume as an homage to the complexity and turmoil of heartbreak.

For this year’s presentation, however, the 2023 Preview Best Filipino Fashion Designer (BFFD) honoree says to expect a calmer energy. “I guess it’s somehow my break from the usual barong designs I have been doing for our [made-to-order],” he expressed. “I wanted to offer something different from what we usually present but still connected to the world that we’re trying to build.”

RJ calls the upcoming collection “The Waiting Room.” It draws inspiration from a liminal space, where one might exist between the “real and unreal, life and death, memory and hope.”

The narrative begins from an experience that hits rather close to home. Early this year, in January, RJ's grandfather passed on. Just four days later, his niece Sari was born.

“For months, I kept thinking about that special moment where Daddy, my lolo who passed away, and Sari, my niece, might have met and gotten to know each other,” he mused. “I also imagined a place where all the dogs we’ve loved and lost were there too, playing with Sari and welcoming Daddy. That image eventually became the emotional foundation of the collection.”

Design-wise, RJ remains drawn to patterns and textures, though this time he explores them through a rhythm of repetition.

“Instead of making each look feel completely expressive on its own, I wanted the collection to feel more uniform and connected, with repetition becoming part of the story,” he explained.

Read the full runway recap: Randolf Finds Calm in the Chaos at MNL Fashion Week 2026

It has been seven years since Jerome Lorico last staged a runway presentation. With nearly 17 years of experience behind him, the Bicolano designer is looking toward the “natural, primal, and less.” He describes the collection’s vision succinctly: “It is looking back to what was before so I can look farther ahead.”

A master of knitwear, Jerome’s body of work balances architectural forms with a sense of fluidity. “As a knitwear designer, I see fabric and yarn as elements that need to be tamed and mastered,” he says. “This collection is a contemplation with materials, textures, and the forms and possibilities that they can achieve and reach.”

An avant-garde thinker through and through, he approaches knitwear sculpturally, manipulating large-gauge textures and fabric structures to create garments that feel organic and fluid. His work brings together Filipino fibers such as piña, hand-loomed cotton, and silk with local artisanal embellishments, including sculpted mother-of-pearl and hand-cut capiz shells.

With his upcoming MNL Fashion Week presentation, Jerome seeks to demonstrate how much further he can push his craft.

“[It is] a reflection of what my hands can do, my eyes can see, and the determination of certain forms and textures to own their identity beside me as a creative and brand,” he explained.

Read the full runway recap: Jerome Lorico Finds the Light at MNL Fashion Week 2026

Since its inception in 2018, Charlotte Folk has grown into a cult-favorite apparel brand. Beloved by streetwear enthusiasts and casual dressers alike, the homegrown label has cultivated an effortless sensibility that resonates with its audience.

Following its BYS Fashion Week showcase in 2024, the brand promises to reveal a different side of Charlotte Folk this time around. “Our upcoming collection is very different from our current ones,” the brand shared. “It’s something we’ve always wanted to do at Charlotte Folk, so we’re really excited to finally bring it to life.”

Beyond the garments themselves, Charlotte Folk hopes to communicate a sense of authenticity while finding beauty in the mundane. “We wanted the show to feel familiar and relatable while still presenting everyday life in a more elevated and expressive way,” they noted.

Fully embracing the “everyday” theme, the brand is transforming its show space into a hotel, bringing together a cast of characters that reflects the range of personalities who wear Charlotte Folk. “It’s a fun way of showing that there isn’t just one way to wear CF or one version of the person who wears it,” they shared.

Read the full runway recap: Charlotte Folk Showcases a Cast of Characters at MNL Fashion Week 2026

Nina Amoncio describes her forthcoming collection as “quieter, more relaxed,” and, most intriguingly, “less familiar.”

Under her eponymous label, ANTONINA, the 2025 Preview Best Filipino Fashion Designer (BFFD) awardee has built a body of work around tailored, structured silhouettes that typically eschew color. At the heart of each collection lies a deeply personal narrative, one where she reflects on beliefs she holds or experiences that have shaped her.

For Spring/Summer 2027, Nina takes a step back to consider what stillness means in this day and age. Titled “Not Here,” the collection moves through the in-between, seeking to capture the fleeting experience of stepping away from the constant pace of work. “It’s about stepping away from the constant rhythm of work, expectations, and everything that keeps us moving, and allowing ourselves to simply be still,” she shared.

The presentation also signals a shift in direction for the brand, as Nina introduces more color into her work.

“We’ve spent a lot of time working with black and more colorless pieces, so this time, we wanted to bring in colors inspired by nature—flowers, landscapes, and the different tones you find around us,” she noted. “It’s something we haven’t really explored since 2019, before the pandemic.”

In terms of technique, expect signature ANTONINA elements brought to life through lace cutting, hand sewing, textural experimentation, and collages made from cutout beads and lace.

“One interesting thing I can share with Preview is that this collection also grew from the Anne Curtis cover look,” she revealed. “We took the technique we developed for that piece and pushed it further, creating new silhouettes from it.”

2026 marks 10 years of HA.MÜ. To celebrate the milestone, designers Abraham Guardian and Mamuro Oki looked inward and asked themselves: “How did we actually become HA.MÜ?”

To answer that question, the duo turned to “the invisible forces” that shaped the brand into what it is today. “A lot of our previous collections started from external ideas, observations, or stories, but this one is very personal,” the 2023 Preview BFFD honorees shared. “It’s really about looking at where we’ve been, what we’ve chosen, and why we’re still here.”

The presentation will unfold in three acts, chapters they have called “Clothes; Not Clothes?” “Ganito Kaya?” and “I Do. Do I?”

“The show starts from our more experimental and weird beginnings, moves into the energy of choosing to keep going and building our own path, and eventually arrives at something more evolved and intentional,” they shared. “We wanted the show to feel like going through HA.MÜ’s brain and memories over the last 10 years.”

Ultimately, the presentation offers a glimpse into the minds of Ham and Mamu, the creative forces behind the brand. Design-wise, expect familiar HA.MÜ codes revisited through a renewed approach to structured tailoring, deconstructed silhouettes, draping, and sculptural forms. “We’re also playing with different textures and our usual handcrafted details, but in ways that feel more evolved for us.” they explained.

The Proudrace brand has become synonymous with many things: fashion-forward dressing, deconstruction and reconstruction, playfulness, and perhaps even a little tongue-in-cheek humor.

Since its inception, experimentation has remained central to the streetwear brand’s philosophy. For its upcoming showcase, creative director Rik Rasos promises to push those design signatures further. “Experimentation is central to our process, and this season pushed us into unfamiliar territory,” the 2024 Preview BFFD honoree tells Preview. “We explored couture-inspired construction and draping techniques that were new to the studio.”

Much like his broader body of work, Rik’s latest offering reexamines his approach to deconstruction—particularly his practice of working with existing garments and transforming them into something new. Often inspired by everyday observations, the designer turned his attention to curtain drapes and the way fabric naturally falls.

Taking cues from this observation, Rik imagined garments that would drape around the wearer in a similar manner, reworking familiar textures through extended proportions and an unexpected mix of prints and materials.

“I was drawn to how fabric naturally falls like curtain folds, incidental drapes, and everyday movement,” he explained. “These observations shaped fluid and sculptural silhouettes.”

When asked to describe the essence of his upcoming collection, Rik articulates it in the most Proudrace way possible: “This season you can expect crazy, sexy, chic with a bit of sense of humor.”

Photographed by Rxandy Capinpin using Canon R6 MKIII. Shoot Associates: Raffy Dela Cruz, Aldzs Payapag, Gab Tagala, Royd Loyola, Ron Cañonero of the Fashion Institute of the Philippines. Models: Luminary Manila. Special thanks to the MNL Fashion Week team.