Get a look into the creative minds shaping the future of Filipino fashion as the top 6 finalists of the MEGA Young Designers Competition 2024 offer a preview of their upcoming collections
The finale of the MEGA Young Designers Competition 2024 is near, and it’s time for a new designer to forge the future of Filipino fashion. This is the platform for up and coming fashion designers to elevate their craft and perfect their material. Here they stand on the brink of proving their worth and solidifying their position in the industry. The Final 6: Renz Reyes, Dino Bancoro, Sandro Dela Pena, Vic Fajatin, Prince Padilla, and Akio Barreiro are the principals of their design aesthetic, and this will be their ultimate test in this grand fashion showdown.
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Renz Reyes, Archtrivial
Immersed in the art of the everyday, Reyes curates exceptional pieces that resonate with uniqueness. With “Archtrivial”, he ventures into the urban maze of Manila, finding inspiration in the overlooked corners of the city. By reshaping the mundane into the extraordinary, Reyes redefines the customary.
Dino Bancoro, Eleganza Extravaganza
In Bancoro’s world of style, edgy meets eclectic, blending streetwear grit with couture finesse. “Eleganza Extravaganza” materializes as a celebration of drag culture and camp fashion, imbuing his creations with a riotous spirit. Through his collection, Bancoro rediscovers the joy of falling in love with fashion anew, welcoming the thrill of experimentation and the sheer delight of sartorial play.
Sandro Dela Peña, The Walk
Dela Peña’s design approach revolves around storytelling, with 2022 film, The Whale, being an influence to his new collection. Drawing from the themes of resilience and renewal, Dela Pena’s “The Walk” pivots and forwards the process of a newer self through texture.
Vic Fajatin, Framing Bodies
Building self-confidence is the structure of Vic Fajatin’s collection, featuring shades and silhouettes that celebrate the female form. Entitled “Framing Bodies”, it evolves around loving oneself with exploration, experimentation, and expression as essential components of personal growth.
Prince Padilla, Novel
Padilla’s collection “Novel” signals a fresh chapter for new womenswear material, grounded in the tactile interplay of materiality and craftsmanship. Through attention to detail inked with purpose, he shapes silhouettes, textures, and movement into a compelling narrative. His approach to techniques and materials turns a page into alternative attire, offering a refined yet inventive perspective on contemporary fashion that intently aims to give a new identity to women’s fashion.
Akio Barreiro, Love and the Pilgrim
Akio Barreiro’s runway opus, drawing inspiration from Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones’s “Love and the Pilgrim”, is a foundation of structured tailoring and a gallery of layered expressions. Illustrating the pathway from his instinctive design roots to a refined grasp of craftsmanship, this collection highlights the signature shapes and intricate details known for and with his individuality
As they prepare to reveal their collections and vie for the coveted title, each designer brings their perspective and vision to the runway. The end is near, but for one of them, it’s just the beginning.
Tune into the official livestream of MEGA’s Young Designers Competition 2024 via our YouTube Channel.
Photography GRANT BABIA. Creative Direction PATRICK TY. Makeup ANGELINE DELA CRUZ. Hair BRYAN EUSEBIO. Model TAKI SHIMADA
