Fashion Philippines team for Milan: (front row) Renz Reyes, Gabby Garcia, CITEM executive director Leah Pulido-Ocampo, DTI Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque, DTI assistant secretary Nylah Bautista, DOST-PTRI director Dr. Julius L. Leaño Jr., Vania Romoff, and Thian Rodriguez; (back row) Tetta Ortiz-Matera of LIT Fashion Consultancy, Steffi Cua, Jerome Lorico, Ched Dalogaog, Carl Jan Cruz, Tessa Nepomuceno, Jo Ann Bitagcol, Joseph Bagasao and Adam Pereyra
When the government’s trade agency opened applications for a mentorship program in Milan, one of the world’s fashion capitals, about 60 hopefuls sent in their portfolios. An international jury selected 12 Filipino brands that met the exacting standards: at least two years in business, proper registration and tax compliance, a strong cultural identity, clear growth plans, and a polished social media presence.
Consultant and advocate Tetta Ortiz Matera, who leads the Fashion Philippines Milan Mentorship Program with the government, says the panel sought not just creative talent but also business-ready professionals.
The roster is wide—from start-ups such as Jo Ann Bitagcol’s gender-fluid, digital-print Bitagcol collection, Renz Reyes’ brand known for deconstructive utilitarianism, to veteran exporter Therese Nepomuceno’s Calli East-West-style bags, and the well-established Christian Rodriguez’s Thian known for leatherwork with striking hardware. (Rodriguez once dressed Grammy award-winning rap artist Lizzo in a corset top and shorts made of metal-studded vinyl from Marikina.)
The Milan showcase will also feature a rich mix of other Filipino talents: Gabriel Almazan, known professionally as Gabby Garcia, presents his Kislap collection with hand-crafted embellishments. Vania Romoff displays her signature feminine style in piña. Steffi Cua’s Idyllic Summers features layered draping with fabrics created in collaboration with artists using native dyes. Edward Dalogaog’s Ched Studio merges traditional weaving techniques with bold, modern statement pieces. Jewelry designer Adam Pereyra has his delicate yet intricately crafted works. Joseph Bagasao III of Bagasáo offers minimalist, structured designs grounded in sustainability and embroidery. Carl Jan Cruz combines Pinoy daily life cultural nostalgia with structured designs. Jerome Lorico’s Studio Lorico presents versatile pieces anchored on local narratives and craftsmanship.
Cev Cendaña, Danielle Purzuelo, PFC vice president Carmina Jacob-Sanchez, DOST-PTRI director Dr. Julius L. Leaño Jr., CITEM executive director Leah Pulido-Ocampo, Hotel Benilde general manager Marco Protacio, PFC chair Carissa Cruz-Evangelista, Anna Maria Alzona of CITEM, PFC co-founder Jackie C. Aquino, and Cris Angelo Pagtalunan
The Fashion Philippines Milan Mentorship Program 2025 is organized by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), the Philippine Textile Research Institute, the Philippine Fashion Coalition, and LIT Fashion Consultancy. It will bring 12 Filipino designers to global spotlight in a three-day exhibition at Fondazione Sozzani in Milan from Sept. 23 to 25, 2025, coinciding with Milan Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2026.
In the press conference at Hotel Benilde, Leah Ocampo, CITEM executive director, told TheDiarist.ph that the program’s ultimate goal is to cultivate a new generation of Filipino fashion designers. In previous decades, CITEM played a key role in promoting established names. This time, the focus is on helping emerging talents refine their brands, present themselves professionally, negotiate with buyers, and understand market demands—everything, from pricing strategies to sourcing materials.
Jo Ann Bitagcol (Bitagcol)
Bitagcol
Renz Reyes (Renz Reyes)
Renz Reyes
While the Philippines no longer has the scale of manufacturing it once did, the program now emphasizes niche markets, small-batch boutiques, and creative services. CITEM has long organized regional platforms for exposure, mounting fashion shows in Hong Kong and Singapore where inquiries focused less on merchandise orders and more on tapping Filipino designers’ creativity, technical skills, and consultancy services.
Ocampo notes that the Philippines once had a thriving textile and garment sector, supported for decades by the global quota system under the Multi-Fiber Arrangement, which guaranteed export volumes to major markets. When quotas were abolished in 2005 under World Trade Organization rules, local manufacturers were faced with intense competition from countries with lower production costs. Their orders vanished almost overnight, leading to the collapse of the textile industry.
Tessa Nepomuceno (Calli)
Calli
Thian Rodriguez (Thian Rodriguez)
Thian Rodriguez
Reviving the sector, she says, means shifting away from competing on volume, and instead building on the country’s strengths in design, craftsmanship, and specialized production. By developing designers who can command a premium for their originality and quality, the mentorship program aims to position Philippine fashion where it can compete globally—not in mass manufacturing, but in the high-value, creativity-driven segment of the market.
Gabby Garcia (Tagpi)
Tagpi
Vania Romoff (Vania Romoff)
Vania Romoff
Steffi Cua (Idyllic Summers)
Idyllic Summers Earth Bound
The textile industry could rise again—if investors are willing to take risks. Dr. Julius Leaño Jr., director of the Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI), says it has developed technology to scale up fabric production, creating tropical fabrics from cotton blends infused with pineapple, banana, plantain, bamboo, and even silk. These fabrics play a key role in the designers’ collections for Milan.
“We’re waiting for the private sector to adapt the technology we developed,” Leaño says. “Production can’t be done by the government alone.”
With limited resources, PTRI has begun setting up small yarn production facilities across the country, each producing about 50 kilos per day. The main obstacles for investors, he notes, are supply chain issues such as power, land, water—not technology, which is available and waiting to be harnessed.
Ched Dalogaog (Ched Studio)
Ched Studio
Adam Pereyra (Adam Pereyra)
Adam Pereyra Grand Kaluwa Choker
This push for locally produced textiles dovetails with the need for designers to access distinctive, sustainable clothing, hence, fueling a cycle where homegrown fabrics and original design reinforce each other.
Industry observers say the moment is ripe. Matera recalls how this initiative began. Her LIT Fashion Consultancy has been promoting Filipino brands starting with Japan Fashion Week in 2016. The shows generated publicity and gave designers a glimpse of how other labels presented their work, but they rarely led to sales.
To bridge that gap, Matera began organizing personal pop-ups in Tokyo twice a year, featuring nearly 40 Filipino brands. The initiative caught the attention of Sara Sozzani Maino, head of special projects in Vogue Italia and creative director of Fondazione Sozzani, a cultural foundation dedicated to promoting fashion, photography, art, and design through exhibitions, publications, and educational program
She and Matera arranged a virtual mentoring session during the pandemic and helped stage a three-day sales showroom and exhibition in Tokyo in 2020. Japanese buyers and press attended, many surprised to discover such sophisticated fashion from the Philippines. While a few orders came through, Matera notes that Japanese buyers prefer to build long-term relationships, often waiting to see a brand return for the next season before making larger commitments.
With the support of DTI and CITEM, the Fashion Philippines Milan Mentorship Program pairs local expertise with global industry insight in a two-tier process. In Manila, mentors helped designers refine their collections for the international stage—covering curation, branding, market positioning, sustainability, social media, and textile innovation—before the collections face an influential jury in Milan. Matera led the first reviews and feedback sessions, while fashion directors, editors, and creative professionals guided styling, content creation, and pricing strategies to ensure readiness for Italy.
Joseph Bagasao (Bagasáo)
Bagasáo
Carl Jan Cruz (Carl Jan Cruz)
Carl Jan Cruz
Jerome Lorico (Lorico)
Lorico
The Milan panel will bring together leaders from fashion weeks, showrooms, luxury retail, and editorial, to bridge Philippine creativity and the European market. Each mentor will highlight a different aspect of the international fashion business. The sessions are less like formal lectures and more like peer-to-peer conversations, a round-robin format that allows designers to engage directly with each expert.
Matera notes that even large fashion conglomerates are facing an identity crisis, as consumers grow weary of paying high prices for goods that are not sustainably made. This shift, she says, can be an opening for small Filipino brands to connect with buyers who value responsible design and limited production. The trend is global, with growing interest in locally rooted labels.
Opportunities can also arise directly in sales showrooms. When investors find a brand they believe in, they can offer not only funding but also infrastructure—helping secure reliable manufacturers, refine brand DNA, set target price points, and position the label in the market.
She adds that production capacity is no longer a major concern for buyers. She cites that in Africa, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East, often small, family-run operations echo today’s push for authenticity. The market has moved away from orders in the hundreds of thousands, focusing instead on intentional, well-designed pieces. This shift, she believes, makes the timing ideal for the country’s emerging brands.
Trade Secretary Cristina Duque says that last year, the creative industry generated ₱1.94 trillion in value, sustained 7.51 million jobs, and grew 8.7 percent from the previous years. Creative industries account for 7.3 percent of the country’s GDP.
“The Philippine creative industry is one that the Philippines can be proud of,” she says.
For the Fashion Philippines Milan Mentorship Program, the Manila mentors are Tetta Ortiz Matera, fashion consultant and advocate and program head; Ryuji Shiomitsu, fashion director, Mega magazine; Pam Quiñones, fashion director, Vogue Philippines; Trickie Lopa, fashion advisor, Vogue Philippines deputy editor; Carmina Sanchez-Jacob, creative entrepreneur; Rhea Matute, executive director, Design Center of the Philippines; Esme Palaganas, creative and management professional; Paolo Reyes, designer and marketing specialist; and Dr. Julius L. Leaño Jr., textile innovation expert.
The Milan mentors are Sara Sozzani Maino, creative director, Fondazione Sozzani and Milan Fashion Week ambassador; Riccardo Grassi, founder, RG Showroom, and co-founder, Studio Zeta; Niccolò Pasqualetti, LVMH Prize finalist and Franca Sozzani Awardee; Riccardo Terzo, fashion editor, stylist, and Vogue Italia consultant; Ryle Tuvierra, Filipino fashion and content creator; Giulia Demitri, fashion buyer, Gaudenzi Boutique, Milan; Helena Boissonnas, senior buying consultant, Le Bon Marché (LVMH), Paris; and Silvia Bertocchi, head of cultural programs, Fondazione Sozzani.
