Carla Gem Buyo

Carl Jan Cruz Returns With Vol. II At UNIVERS—Here's What To Expect When You Shop In-Store

Article (news)

<p><strong>Carl Jan Cruz</strong> (CJC) and <strong>UNIVERS </strong>reunite for Vol. II, a capsule collection that continues their shared exploration of the contemporary Filipino wardrobe. The collaboration sharpens familiar silhouettes, reimagines fabrics, and frames fashion as a communal act rooted in dialogue and craft.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:779px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1758275449931carljancruz_1756005300_3705950963323010704_434256572.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo by Renzo Navarro</span></span></span></div><div><strong>Refined Silhouettes</strong></div><p>Vol. II redefines everyday Filipino dressing with precision and play. Balloon trousers reworked with darts and pleats, double-bubble saya skirts, and trapeze tent dresses that shift from corseted fronts to billowing backs highlight Carl&#x27;s ease-with-subversion approach. Cropped polos, reversible blouses, and overshirts are designed to be layered, cinched, or completely undone.</p><p>Denim staples such as the Free Cuff Jeans and Barrel-Cut Kayod Trousers anchor the capsule, while draped dresses like the Gara and Bayle blur structure and fluidity. These are garments built for interaction, evolving with the wearer’s choices.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:779px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1758275483412carljancruz_1756090800_3706655069633268567_434256572.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo by Renzo Navarro</span></span></span></div><div><strong>Palette and Texture</strong></div><p>The color story grounds itself in neutral foundations—black, cream, khaki, and navy—accented with plum, teal, and tobacco. Pastel peach, powder blue, and gold soften the mix, while moss green and burgundy lend depth.</p><p>Texture plays a defining role: washed tencel, Japanese denim, Italian cotton, and cashmere moss wool are cut against silk linen and sueded silk. Fabric manipulations such as <em>eskosesa</em>, <em>gusot</em>, and <em>tupi </em>pleating extend Carl&#x27;s vernacular of craft, while reversible constructions and convertible details carry the ethos of clothes designed to live and move.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:779px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17582755409495.png" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo by Regine David</span></span></span></div><div><strong><em>Patikim and Salo-Salo</em></strong><strong></strong><br/></div><p>The collection’s unveiling at UNIVERS One Rockwell was staged through two Filipino traditions: <em>patikim </em>(the first taste) and <em>salo-salo</em> (a communal gathering). Carl&#x27;s 45 Bayani atelier was reimagined within the store, with racks, mannequins, and work tables blurring the line between workshop and shop floor.</p><p>More than a presentation, the <em>salo-salo</em> brought together photographers, designers, and creatives—the image-makers who frame and remember fashion. In doing so, the event underscored fashion as a collective experience, carried beyond the garment itself.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17582756096872.png" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo by Regine David</span></span></span></div><div><strong>A Shared Evolution</strong></div><p>“The focus now is defining what a wardrobe means when it is both contemporary and Filipino,” says Carl. “We’ve established our codes, but we continually ask: what colors or details can still evolve? It becomes very personal—if I cannot stand behind a color on its own, no textile or cut can convince me otherwise.”</p><p>For UNIVERS, the collaboration represents maturity. “It’s been about three years since our last partnership,” notes <strong>Jappy Gonzalez</strong>, Managing Director of UNIVERS. “This range feels much more evolved in every aspect—styling, fit, production, and design quality—all while keeping the brand’s spirit intact.”</p><div><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-1" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DONMKjLj2d7/embed/captioned/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=675&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A1%2C%22os%22%3A7019013.200000048%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="1059" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-1" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><div><strong>From Atelier to Wardrobe</strong></div><p>The campaign mirrors this duality. Photographer <strong>Regine David</strong> captures the journey from atelier to UNIVERS, intimate and diaristic. Meanwhile, <strong>Renzo Navarro</strong> and stylist <strong>Michael Salientes </strong>expand the codes outward, with multiple bodies inhabiting the collection to highlight its adaptability.</p><div><br/></div><p>Together, the images trace the path of Vol. II—from making to mood, workshop to wardrobe.</p><div><br/></div><p>Vol. II is more than a capsule collection; it is a continuation of Carl Jan Cruz and UNIVERS’s dialogue on what Filipino design can mean today. Through refined silhouettes, tactile explorations, and a community-centered presentation, the collaboration affirms fashion as a living, evolving narrative—one that is deeply personal yet inherently collective.</p>

<p>Discover their second collection here.</p>

Contemporary Filipino Wardrobe Codes Are Seen In Carl Jan Cruz x UNIVERS—Here Are The Looks

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Contemporary Filipino Wardrobe Codes Are Seen In Carl Jan Cruz x UNIVERS—Here Are The Looks

Rick Formalejo

Published September 20, 2025 11:39 AM PHT

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