With the unfiltered emotions of iAcademy’s Fashion Design and Technology Grad Show 2024, six designers turned the runway into a living diary
At iAcademy’s Grad Show 2024, the runway was an expression of emotions, creativity, and personal stories, all stitched together by the graduating class of the Fashion Design and Technology program. This year, the graduating class brought forward a collection that unraveled narratives with every fold, transforming their capstone projects into a living journal of their lives, fears, joys, and everything in between.
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Jannah Collado
Astor took us on a stormy ride with the designer’s collection that is as much a statement as it is a portrayal of Astraphobia—the intense fear of thunderstorms and lightning. Through quilted fabrics, bubble silhouettes, and asymmetrical patterns, Collado captured the panic and vulnerability of those who face this fear. Each look was a manifestation of the chaos that brews within when the skies darken, making us feel the thunder rumbling not just on the runway but in our chests.
Megan Davies
The designer brought us back to our roots with The Inner Child Dialogue, a collection that tugged at the strings of our most guarded memories. Using her childhood drawings as a springboard, Davies stitched together the discomfort and solace that come with confronting old wounds. The garments reflected the duality of trauma and nostalgia—a messy yet tangible mix of past and present, pain and comfort. It was a bittersweet reflection that the child we once were still lives within us, sometimes in need of a comforting hug, other times demanding to be heard.
Ellyn Denubo
This collection swept us off our feet and straight into a perya. The Perye-serye collection is infused with the playful energy of a Filipino fair, where Denubo’s designs burst with lively colors and whimsical elements that evoke nostalgia while keeping a foot firmly in modern style. It was a celebration of the joyous spirit of the fair—where life feels like a never-ending carousel of delight, laughter, and a bit of dizzying fun.
Abby Fernandez
Blurring the lines between fashion and gaming culture, Mabi’s Arcade is a collection that captures the electric pulse of Japanese arcades. Her Filipino-Japanese women’s streetwear designs were a riot of bold, vivid colors, and original textile prints that mirrored the chaotic yet thrilling atmosphere of arcade screens. Fernandez merged the aesthetics of MABI STUDIOS with the energy of Japanese arcades, creating pieces that were an homage to the animated settings that inspired them.
Elena Mariano
In a collection that celebrated feminine power and pleasure, Blissful Awakening took us on a journey of self-love and ecstasy. Mariano’s designs were an ode to the dreamy, euphoric feelings of self-pleasure, narrated through sultry styles and yonic imagery. Each piece is a reminder that female sexual expression is something to be celebrated, not shamed.
Joanna Santos
Adoracion is a haunting exploration of grief and its many stages. Inspired by the loss of her grandmother, Santos’ avant-garde collection was a journey through Shock and Denial, Pain and Guilt, Anger, Depression, and finally, Acceptance. The garments weren’t just pieces of clothing—they were Santos’ way of processing her emotions, turning the deeply personal and painful process of grieving into something tangible, something we could all relate to.
The iAcademy Fashion Design and Technology Grad Show 2024 was an emotional rollercoaster, a moving celebration of self-expression, and an exploration of art’s ability to reveal our most intimate experiences. Each designer contributed something distinctive to the table, making us laugh, weep, and think about our own stories. In the end, the raw, unfiltered emotions made this show enduring, on top of the fashions that were presented in front of us.
