Nicolo Perez Sets the Tone for MNL Fashion Week 2026

The halls of SM Aura’s SMX Convention Center are enveloped in white. Layers of diaphanous fabric hang from the ceiling, drifting gently overhead.

Soon enough, the first model—garbed in a denim nautical number—emerges from the crowd of guests at the opposite end of the wave-shaped “boardwalk.” In an instant, the room falls silent, all eyes turning to the runway. A palpable stillness settles over the space as a new wave of nicolò unfolds before us.

Titled “Flow State,” designer Nicolo Perez presented his 35-piece lineup as a three-part narrative.

In the opening chapter, Nicolo reacquaints us with a few of his utilitarian signatures: tailored denim rendered into structured jackets, crescent-shaped pockets appearing across cargo pants, and sheer organza panels cutting through lightweight shirts and culottes. From the outset, the collection establishes a familiar design language—one that Nicolo has continued to refine and expand over the years.

Soon after, the energy heads beachside, where the focus shifts toward resort-ready dressing. Nicolo trades his signature anthuriums for all-over gumamela prints. Departing from his usual palette of blues, whites, and the occasional orange, the lineup introduces brighter bursts of color, with electric pinks and greens washing over his womenswear silhouettes.

And yes, the womenswear. Menswear has long been at the heart of the nicolò brand. While his previous collaboration with R.A.F. offered glimpses of his approach to women’s apparel, “Flow State” brings that proposition into full view.

Rather than constructing an entirely separate vocabulary for women, Nicolo extends the principles already embedded in his menswear.

A master of construction through and through, Nicolo punctuates clean silhouettes with tactile elements used in generous measure. Parachute pants drenched in capiz shells, the crowd-favorite anthurium jackets dotted with paillette sequins, and sheer organza shirts explored in varying degrees of opacity. Yet these embellishments never seem to overwhelm the clothes themselves. Instead, they introduce touches of contrast—a harmony of movement and lightness, of textures and structures.

Evidently, Nicolo’s proposal for a womenswear wardrobe is as straightforward as it gets: sharp and streamlined, tinged with a sense of playfulness, and sensual on occasion.

Beyond the womenswear debut and his command of construction, however, “Flow State” is perhaps Nicolo’s strongest exercise in restraint yet. When a designer posits a collection guided by a renewed understanding of their DNA, the possibilities for reinvention can feel practically limitless.

As with many of the guests at yesterday’s show, one pertinent question lingered: What else is there to do for nicolò?

With a design language that is so succinct and immediately recognizable, reinvention could seemingly head in many directions. Yet perhaps, for a brand still relatively young, nicolò already possesses a clear understanding of its identity—and, more importantly, how that identity might continue to evolve in the years ahead.

Backstage photos and videos by Kurt Villagracia.