At Filipinxt’s fourth season at New York Fashion Week, warmth greeted you before the first model stepped onto the runway. The atmosphere felt like walking into a homecoming: inviting expressions, laughter, and an unspoken pride that pulsed through the space. The echoes of Tagalog drizzled across the room, softening New York Fashion Week’s hard edges and making the show feel familiar, almost familial. 

Cofounded by Bessie Besana and Rob Mallari-D’Auria and presented by the Philippine Consulate General, the runway featured a powerful lineup of Filipino designers, all presenting collections that proved to be a collage of voices reimagining tradition and pushing boldly into contemporary territory. 

Jo Ann Bitagcol’s debut was especially striking, taking historically tied garments like the barong, terno, and camisa, and reshaping them with fluid lines that felt unbound by gender. Bessie Besana’s craftsmanship felt cathartic and confessional; gowns carrying the weight of emotion yet cut with precision and gleaming with luminescence. Ram Silva’s dresses seemed to extend past the body itself, with shoulders and skirts that protruded outwards. They weren’t just artisanal textures of Iloilo, but silhouettes that were commanding; celebratory. Farah Abu shook up the show with oversized cuffs and unapologetic bags that transformed accessories into the main event. When Style Ana’s ternos and wrap skirts appeared, the runway seemed to slow. 

The pieces invited grace and a breath to absorb the threads and colors around us. Pinas Sadya’s streetwise pieces felt like Manila energy converting into New York concrete, leaving the audience with a sense of playful lingering exuberance. A roar showered through the room as Veejay Floresca closed the show with sculptural evening wear that juxtaposed sharpness with flowing motion, clothing designed for women who refused to blend into the background. Each gown had a personality of its own, yet still allowed for the models to shine through with confidence and poise. 

As a Filipina who travels back to the Philippines each year, every visit unveils new pieces of my identity, my family, and my heritage; that same rediscovery was established and understood in these collections. This show resonated beyond all aesthetics. Contours, patterns, and silhouettes shouldered responsibility of lineage while opening new possibilities for expression. Filipinxt offered us the reminder that fashion is not just a spectacle, but an inheritance. Fashion is community; it’s self-discovery. Clothing is a keepsake that, like heritage itself, is not static, but alive, shifting, and always expanding.

See here, FLAUNT’s exclusive interview with four different designers who participated in this year’s iteration of Filipinxt, all of whom speak to pageantry, identity, and cultural preservation in the face of fashion-world homogeneity. 

Bessie Bessana 

As co-founder of Filipinxt, you’re building a platform for Filipino designers globally.  What aspects of Filipino heritage do you feel are most urgent to showcase on the  international runway? 

The most important thing is to showcase that Filipinos are talented. From converting locally  woven fabric to current street wear and by turning up couture dresses, we can show that the  Filipino’s talent is limitless. We are at par with the global fashion talent.

Your work is known for clean modern lines and couture-level detailing. In your Filipnxt  collection, where will we see the Filipino touch—whether in textile choices, embellishment  techniques, or subtle references that speak to home?
My collection reflects a period of my life where emotions are constantly flowing. I  incorporated my technique on Filipiniana sleeve making to showcase that even with classic  evening wear, we can incorporate the Filipiniana sleeves. 

Filipnxt is described as pushing fabrication “outside the box but right on time.” What  risks or innovations are you taking in this collection, and how do you hope they’ll  contribute to the larger story of Filipino fashion entering the global spotlight? 

There are pieces from the collection that introduced flow and this was achieved through fabric  manipulation. I hope through this, we can showcase that the Filipinos can create beautiful pieces  that are classic with a touch of modernity.

Do you design differently when you know the piece will live forever in photographs— like a wedding gown—versus when it’s for a fleeting live performance, like Sofronio’s  concert? 

When I design custom for clients, may it be a bride or a celebrity—I follow the lead of the person’s energy. The most common theme would be to ensure that the garment will  compliment that person. I do not believe that the dress or suit should stand out more than the  

person wearing it, so a balance should be achieved.That will make a beautiful piece  engraved in a photograph.

Veejay Floresca 

You’ve built a name in bridal and bespoke wear, with an emphasis on sustainability and  inclusivity. How does that philosophy translate into what you’re showing at Filipinxt? FILIPINXT is a platform for Filipino creatives to showcase our talents to the world. For this  collection, I wanted to celebrate women of all shapes and sizes by creating pieces that feel  inclusive and relatable. Fashion is an expression of who we are, and my goal is to make every  woman feel seen and represented. 

You’ve been open about your journey as a trans woman in fashion. How does your  personal story influence the way you design clothes—for women, for men, for everyone?
As a trans woman, I design from a place of authenticity. My journey has taught me the beauty  of embracing uniqueness, and that translates into clothes that empower people to express their  true selves—whether they identify as women, men, or anywhere in between. 

You’ve spoken about sustainability as a guiding principle. What materials or techniques  are you experimenting with in this collection that excite you the most?
I work with fabrics that can be reordered in small quantities, which allows clients to pre order without the need for mass production. This slow fashion approach—combined with my  bespoke process—helps reduce fabric consumption and waste, while still offering luxury and  individuality. 

Filipinxt is about bringing Filipino culture into the NYFW spotlight. What specific  elements of Filipino craft, storytelling, or sensibility are you highlighting in your collection? I wanted to strike a balance between wearability and fantasy. Filipino creativity is about bold  expression, but also about connection—so while the pieces are visually striking, they are also  meant to make the wearer feel confident and powerful. 

Your previous Filipinxt collection drew on menswear influences. How do you see  fashion as a space to blur, bend, or reimagine gendered traditions? 

My aesthetic often mixes masculine and feminine elements to create a modern, sexy, and strong look. Fashion gives us the freedom to break down old boundaries, and I want my clients— no matter their gender identity—to feel both empowered and unapologetically themselves.

Jo Ann Bitagcol 

Your brand often begins with vintage Filipiniana garments and accessories as  photographic subjects. How do you choose which pieces to document and transform into  prints? 

I have a creative friend who collects vintage pieces of garments, accessories and I would ask  him if I could photograph them. We collaborate. In terms of transforming to prints and which one  to release first, I allow my intuition to flow and pray to creative angels to guide me with the  process. 

Many of your collections draw on memory and cultural identity. What personal  memories of Filipino heritage influence your work most strongly? 

The camisas and maria claras reminded me of my great grandma. She looked elegant in them.  I’m lucky/happy I was able to witness those times. It’s fascinating.

Your silhouettes often lean loose, fluid, and wearable for different body types. How do  you see this approach reflecting Filipino values or sensibilities? 

Filipinos can adapt to almost all situations anywhere in the world. I feel this is the best  representation of the idea of loose wearable silhouettes. ‍

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Ram Silva 

Q: Many of your designs use hablon and piña, woven textiles with local roots. What stories  or histories of Iloilo do you try to weave into your pieces beyond the material itself?
The whole collection is showcasing the whole identity of my province. As you can see in my  collection, it had so much history and passion. It’s all about promoting what we have in our  province. Mainly the municipality of Leon, Iloilo. The rara weaving is the primary source of  income of the bahje community. Rara weaving has been going on for ages but it never had a spotlight, or the recognition they truly deserve. As a Filipino fashion designer, it is my responsibility to help  my community not only to be seen and heard, but also be valued. 

As someone awarded at TernoCon and gaining recognition, how do you see your  platform influencing younger designers who want to work with heritage but might feel  limited by market or resources? 

I personally believe that the younger generation has so much innovation, but I think innovation  has its limits. We have to be responsible with promoting and wearing our identity which is terno.  I believe innovation is essential, however there’s a limit between being innovative in fashion and  we have to make sure to respect the silhouette of Terno and the identity of Filipino fashion. As you  can see my collection in Filipinxt 2025, I presented to all Filipinianas, because as a Filipino designer, I have the responsibility to promote it to a wider audience. 

In terms of gendered symbolism (e.g. barong, terno), how do you approach  transforming or playing with those in your designs to reflect the contemporary Filipinx  experience? 

The whole collection is called Connection. So I was thinking the whole time: How am I going to connect Philippine fashion to the fashion of New York City? My idea is to enrich the Filipino identity to the world, and this is how the audience appreciates what we are bringing here as Filipino designers. 

Its always nice to play around with ideas but we all have to go back to the core of preserving  and maintaining Filipino fashion. I believe pageantry has so much to offer with regard to promoting Philippine identity through their national costume.