Carla Gem Buyo

The Most Standout Runway Looks From The UP Diliman Clothing Tech Class of 2026 Grad Show

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<p>U.P. Diliman&#x27;s BS Clothing Technology Class of 2026 just presented their graduation show, marking yet another milestone for a new generation of emerging Filipino designers.</p><div><br/></div><p>More than a culminating academic requirement, the show served as a platform for bold ideas, experimental craftsmanship, and personal storytelling. It became a vital stepping stone for young creatives as they take their first steps into the fashion industry—bringing with them fresh perspectives that contribute to the ever-evolving landscape of Philippine fashion.</p><div><br/></div><p>The theme, “TAGPI-TAGPI,” is a Filipino term meaning patchwork or to piece together. It reflects the collective nature of the show: individual narratives stitched into a larger story of identity, culture, memory, and self-expression.</p><div><br/></div><p>Read about the 15 designers and their respective collections below.</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><strong>Jana Antonio — “Marble Scars”</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766227829075Marble Scars.JPG" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div><br/></div><p>Jana Antonio’s design language revolves around raw textures paired with structured forms, grounded in streetwear sensibilities and classical silhouettes. Drawn to durable materials such as denim and leather, she explores their ability to hold shape and command presence. Metal hardware punctuates her designs, emphasizing the tension between rugged surfaces and refined detailing.</p><div><br/></div><p>Her graduation collection draws inspiration from expressions of power, likened to marble marked with vein-like scars. Through deconstruction, Jana examines the relationship between strength and vulnerability—asserting that true power lies in imperfection and the courage to reveal it.</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><strong>Daphne Bianshe Arao — “TYDAL”</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div><strong><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766227867114Tydal.JPG" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Daphne Bianshe Arao embraces a chic, modern aesthetic, seamlessly integrating her personal style into every piece. Sleeveless tops and mini skirts serve as recurring elements that anchor her designs in youthful confidence.</p><div><br/></div><p>Her collection is an amalgamation of everything she loves, infused with the vibrant energy of Tyla’s album TYLA. Designed to radiate joy and positivity, Daphne’s work transforms the runway into a celebration of movement, rhythm, and carefree femininity.</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><strong>Szczervy Anne Avila — “Faith Within Fate”</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766227937914Faith Within Fate.JPG" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div><br/></div><p>Szczervy Anne Avila’s design identity is soft, feminine, and romantic, with pearls acting as her signature detail. While her work appears dainty and delicate, it is infused with spontaneous and playful concepts that give her pieces depth and distinction.</p><div><br/></div><p>Inspired by the Red String Theory, her collection reflects the belief that people are destined to meet and connect. Each design tells a different narrative—love found, love sought, and love discovered within oneself—capturing the realities of human connection and emotional growth.</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><strong>Althea Claire — “startofmine”</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div><strong><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766227972794Startofmine.JPG" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></strong><br/></div><p>Althea Claire approaches fashion through the lens of sustainability. She creates new silhouettes from discarded fabrics, upcycled garments, and deadstock materials, minimizing waste while maximizing creativity.</p><div><br/></div><p>Her collection celebrates her personal journey in sewing and design, symbolizing growth, courage, and new beginnings. By transforming fabric scraps into empowering womenswear, Claire delivers a powerful message: start now, create with passion, and embrace sustainability as a practice of both responsibility and self-discovery.</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><strong>Pamela David — “flee_t_ing”</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div><strong><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766228028492Fleeting.JPG" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></strong><br/></div><p>Pamela David views fashion as an intimate and emotional medium. Through design, she communicates thoughts and feelings that words cannot express.</p><div><br/></div><p>Her collection explores the fleeting nature of memory—creation, fading, and forgetting. Inspired by childhood photographs damaged by floods, Pam reimagines loss as a form of remembrance, using fashion to preserve and revive the emotional weight behind these fragmented memories.</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><strong>Trisha Dela Cruz — “Marks”</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766228053574Marks.JPG" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div><br/></div><p>Trisha Dela Cruz resists a singular design language, allowing each project to evolve based on her current inspirations. She believes change is the only constant, and her work reflects this fluid creative philosophy.</p><div><br/></div><p>Her graduation collection draws from the marks found on garments—stains, creases, wear—and from her personal encounters with them. These traces become metaphors for lived experience, transforming imperfection into narrative and design intention.</p><div><strong><br/></strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><strong>Andy Domantay — “Biye Kung Sinta”</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766228088874Biye Kung Sinta.JPG" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div><br/></div><p>Hailing from Gerona, Tarlac, Andy Domantay draws inspiration from his hometown, weaving its gulis (lines), kule (colors), and biye (life) into his work. Rooted in heritage and culture, his designs carry a strong sense of identity and historical resonance, brought to life through rich textures meant to be seen in motion.</p><div><br/></div><p>For Tagpi-Tagpi, Andy envisions fashion as performance. Each piece is designed to endure movement, eagerness, and the adrenaline of a live concert—celebrating both craftsmanship and spectacle.</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><strong></strong><strong>Pierre Eviota — “ethereality”</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766228133754Ethereality.JPG" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div><br/></div><p>Pierre Eviota’s designs balance delicacy and playfulness, expressed through soft, flowing silhouettes and luminous materials. She gravitates toward organza, silk, satin, and mesh for their drape and shimmer, often embellishing them with crochet details, beads, or rhinestones.</p><div><br/></div><p>Meticulous in execution, Pierre believes the results justify the labor. Her graduation collection is inspired by childhood dreams—what was once imagined has now materialized through creativity, craftsmanship, and dedication.</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><strong>Reese Collins Latonio — “Sidlak”</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div><strong><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766228200634Sidlak.JPG" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></strong><br/></div><p>For Reese Collins Latonio, fashion is an extension of the self. More than a designer, they sees themself as a storyteller—using detail and construction to communicate narratives through clothing.</p><div><br/></div><p>“Sidlak” reflects their journey toward healing and rediscovering light after darkness. Imagined as being wrapped in sunlight, the collection features sheer fabrics and glowing textures. Beneath the pleats and volume lies an invitation to embrace life, choice, and quiet joy.</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><strong>Ronnie Reni — “Veronica”</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div><strong><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766228238414Veronica.JPG" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></strong><br/></div><p>Ronnie Reni’s aesthetic leans toward the feminine and ethereal, conveyed through dreamlike storytelling and soft silhouettes. Her work blends classic sophistication with imaginative fantasy.</p><div><br/></div><p>“With being here comes the price of rebellion.” Through this sentiment, her collection narrates a story of liberation, resilience, and freedom. Flowing forms and intricate textures celebrate her evolution—honoring who she was, who she is, and who she is becoming.</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><strong>Trizia Pearl Reyes — “Connections”</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div><strong><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766228271495Connections.JPG" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></strong><br/></div><p>Trizia Pearl Reyes draws inspiration from personal experience and womanhood. She enjoys experimenting with garment construction and diverse materials to bring emotional depth to her work.</p><div><br/></div><p>Her collection is a heartfelt tribute to the people who supported her throughout her academic journey. Each piece reflects meaningful relationships, transforming gratitude into wearable art that highlights connection, growth, and artistic vision on the runway.</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><strong>Ron Roxas — “Bahay-bahayan”</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766228311314Bahay-bahayan.JPG" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div><br/></div><p>Ron Roxas approaches fashion with a theatrical and conceptual sensibility, experimenting with unconventional materials and unexpected forms. Their work is deeply rooted in personal experience as a queer individual, treating fashion as a space for play, freedom, and self-expression.</p><div><br/></div><p>“Bahay-bahayan” is a tribute to their younger self—recalling childhood memories of dressing up with familiar Filipino household items while channeling an inner beauty queen. The collection explores faith, identity, sexuality, and liberation, woven into a nostalgic yet powerful narrative.</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><strong>Kendo Siochi — “Kasali”</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766228384073Kasali.JPG" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div><br/></div><p>Kendo Siochi finds beauty in reimagining the familiar. For him, fashion challenges the notion of acceptance—proving that uniqueness is never wrong. If something makes you feel seen, it deserves to be worn.</p><p>His Tagpi-Tagpi collection echoes the dreams of the LGBTQIA+ community, telling love stories that stand resilient against oppression and discrimination. These narratives demand visibility, culminating in declarations of love sealed with an “I do.”</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><strong>Hiro Sudo — “Sophisticate”</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766228412274Sophisticated.JPG" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div><br/></div><p>Hiro Sudo’s design language is rooted in classic elegance and restraint. Guided by the philosophy that less is more, he values craftsmanship, longevity, and thoughtful construction.</p><p>For his graduation collection, Hiro reimagines everyday dressing through modern minimalism and timeless design. His pieces are effortless yet refined—celebrating enduring beauty that transcends trends.</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><strong>Lord Laurente — “Patik”</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766386876437BANNERS (46).png" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><div><br/></div><p>Proudly hailing from Aklan, Lord Laurente’s approach to fashion is deeply rooted in his culture and childhood. Drawing inspiration from vintage utilitarian workwear, Lord recontextualizes familiar motifs into something more conceptual and  emotionally charged.</p><div><br/></div><p>For his graduation collection, he takes an abstract and deeply personal approach to the Ati-Atihan Festival of his hometown. Rather than a literal interpretation, the collection channels the festival’s pulsating music, electric atmosphere, and controlled chaos. Lord’s ultimate intention is to translate this raw energy and emotional intensity into a compelling narrative on the runway.</p><div><br/></div><div><em>Photos by Micah Ventura</em></div><div><strong></strong></div>

<p>See the collections of the 15 aspiring designers from UP Diliman's graduating batch of 2026.</p>

See the collections of the 15 aspiring designers from UP Diliman's graduating batch of 2026.

The Most Standout Runway Looks From The UP Diliman Clothing Tech Class Of 2026 Grad Show

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The Most Standout Runway Looks From The UP Diliman Clothing Tech Class Of 2026 Grad Show

Marinelle Balog-ang

Published December 22, 2025 08:00 AM PHT

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Updated December 22, 2025 03:13 PM PHT

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