Bench Awards designers earn applause in Tokyo

Three emerging Filipino designers—winners of Bench Design Awards—showed before a global audience the modern aesthetic of today’s young Filipino that’s rooted both in their country’s cultural heritage and that unique East-West blend. It was the much-anticipated return of the Bench Design Awards in the Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo S/S 2026, held at Shibuya Hikarie Hall 2, the largest venue of the fashion week.

Steph Verano, Peach.Garde, and Karl Nadales paraded their collections on the Tokyo runway—visionaries even in their youth, their designs of day-to-night wear all embodying fashion-forward wearability and versatility, yet proudly telling the narrative of Filipino identity and creativity.

Organized by Bench, the Philippines’ leading fashion and lifestyle brand, Bench Design Awards continued its mission to champion emerging Filipino talent—not only at home but also on the world stage. Supported by the Japan Fashion Week Organization, the Embassy of the Philippines in Japan, and a distinguished panel of judges, this year’s edition affirmed the global appeal and creative depth of Philippine fashion.

The three designers were selected by an international jury that included Ben Chan, chairman and CEO of Suyen Corporation; Kaoru Imajo, director of Japan Fashion Week Organization; Japanese designer Mihara Yasuhiro of Maison Miharayasuhiro; Filipino fashion masters Dennis Lustico and Joey Samson; and fashion curator Michael Salientes.

The show was directed by Japanese show director Shige Kaneko of Tokyo and Paris runway fame. Under his direction, the Filipino creativity was enhanced by the Japanese refinement.

STEPHVERANO (by Stephany Verano)
An alumna of ESMOD Paris, Stephany presented CAST, a collection drawn from the textured histories of coastal Europe. Her collection featured hand-quilted surfaces, knotted seams, and muted maritime tones—evoking sea-worn garments transformed into contemporary couture. It was a quiet but potent meditation on resilience, shaped by heritage and emotion.

PEACH.GARDE (by Peter Gagula)
Peter was a nursing student in Iloilo before pursuing his dream as a designer. His collection, Sea-scape, was inspired by the spontaneous coastal escapes of his youth—inspired by a youth’s freedom and fluidity. Through deconstructed tailoring, jellyfish motifs, and coral-inspired forms, the Iloilo-born designer reimagined aquatic life into refined, sustainable streetwear with soul and precision.

nadalē (by Karl Nadales)
Karl Nadales learned sewing not in school but at home—where his mother would sew stories into fabric before he became a fashion design scholar. He presented A-17, a deeply personal collection exploring the emotional topography of migration. Using a palette of sepia, stone, and rust, and silhouettes blending archival familiarity with modern abstraction, his pieces evoked memory, longing, and layered identity. Each garment became a wearable diary.

This marked Bench’s fifth landmark collaboration with the Japan Fashion Week Organization—a continued commitment to elevating Filipino talent on one of fashion’s most prestigious global stages. Previous editions presented Bench Design Awards winners from 2017 to 2019, each heralding a new wave of creative voices. In 2024, Bench made history again by bringing the iconic Philippine terno to Tokyo, a moment to reaffirm the nation’s pride before the world.

The show was livestreamed globally, giving audiences around the world a glimpse of contemporary Philippine fashion—local, global, personal.

Retail visionary Ben Chan (second from left) with Peach Garde, Stephany Verano, and Karl Nadales

Ben Chan, Stephany Verano, Peach Garde, Karl Nadales, Mihara Yasuhiro, Ambassador Mylene Garcia-Albano, Joey Samson, DTI Special Trade Representative Dita Angara-Mathay, Kathleen Chen and Melody Su of Vogue and Conde Nast Taiwan