Novel and Maligaya Clothing Co. Named To Fashion Asia Hong Kong’s 10 Designers to Watch 2026

Prince Padilla of Novel and Roko Arceo of Maligaya Clothing Co. are this year’s Philippine representatives to the annual showcase of emerging Asian talent.

Over the past ten years, Fashion Asia Hong Kong’s 10 Asian Designers to Watch exhibition has established itself as one of the region’s leading springboards for emerging fashion talent in Southeast Asia. This year, two Filipino designers join the class of 2026. Prince Padilla, founder and creative director of Novel, and Roko Arceo, founder and creative director of Maligaya Clothing Co., will showcase their work alongside some of Asia’s most promising talents in an exhibition opening in Hong Kong before continuing to Shanghai Fashion Week.

Organized by the Hong Kong Design Centre under the Hong Kong SAR Government-backed Fashion Asia initiative, this annual event showcases designers from across Asia whose work is marked by creativity, innovation, and craftsmanship. Each year, the final 10 designers are selected by an international panel of industry leaders spanning luxury retail, publishing, design, and fashion.

This year’s panel included designer Robert Wun; Jian DeLeon, men’s fashion director at Nordstrom; Judd Crane, chief buying and brand officer at Selfridges; Dazed Korea publisher and editor-in-chief Homéon Lee; Sara Sozzani Maino, creative director of Fondazione Sozzani; LABELHOOD co-founder Tasha Liu; designer Vivienne Tam; SCMP Hearst managing director and publisher Sophia Yu; Galeries Lafayette China CEO Nicolas Morineaux; Shanghai Fashion Week Organizing Committee secretary general Lv Xiaolei; ALIST founder and CEO Danai Sorakraikitikul; and Hong Kong Design Centre executive director Rainy Chan.

The exhibition has earned a reputation for headhunting fashion’s next breakout stars. Past honorees, including Auralee, Robert Wun, Feng Chen Wang, Shuting Qiu, and Setchu, have since gone on to achieve international success through fashion weeks, global retail partnerships, red carpet dressing, and other major industry awards.

Exclusively for Vogue Philippines, Padilla and Arceo share below what this recognition means for their brands and the future of the Filipino fashion industry.

Prince Padilla of Novel

Vogue Philippines: What does it mean to be selected as one of Fashion Asia’s 10 Asian Designers to Watch?

Prince Padilla: It feels like an important moment of validation, not just for me personally but for the direction my brand has been taking. Building an independent fashion label from Manila can feel geographically isolated from the wider industry, so being recognized alongside designers from across Asia is incredibly encouraging and humbling at the same time. It gives me confidence that the work can resonate beyond my immediate context and opens the door to conversations on a much larger periphery.

Could you tell us how your collection reflects your cultural identity and background as a Filipino designer?

My work is informed by my experience of growing up between cultures rather than by direct references to traditional Filipino dress. Having been raised and educated in Britain while maintaining my practice in Manila, I’m interested in creating a contemporary design language that reflects the realities of modern Filipino identity: complex, global and constantly evolving. Craft, experimentation, and material innovation are central to my process, allowing the work to express where I come from without relying on obvious cultural symbolism.

How has preparing for this showcase challenged you creatively or technically, and how has it changed the way you think about your brand’s future?

Preparing for the showcase has pushed me to be more rigorous in every aspect of the collection, from technical construction to the clarity of the overall concept. It has reinforced the importance of building a body of work that is both creatively ambitious and internationally relevant. More than anything, it has made me think about the long term identity of the brand and how it can continue to evolve while remaining true to its core values.

Looking ahead, what kind of opportunities or conversations do you hope this recognition opens for you?

I hope it leads to meaningful relationships with international retailers, collaborators and institutions that value craftsmanship and experimental design. Beyond commercial opportunities, I’m excited by the possibility of engaging in conversations with creatives across different disciplines and regions. My ambition has always been to contribute to the global fashion dialogue while continuing to build the brand from Manila.

Roko Arceo of Maligaya Clothing Co

Vogue Philippines: What does it mean to be selected as one of Fashion Asia’s 10 Asian Designers to Watch? 

Roko Arceo: To be selected as one of the awardees of the 10 Asian Designers to Watch is a significant milestone in my career. I started this brand as a passion project and it has now bloomed into more than what I envisioned it to be. This distinction is incredibly meaningful because it acknowledges not only what we’ve accomplished but also the industry’s belief in where our work is headed. 

This recognition also feels especially meaningful because it comes from Hong Kong. For years, I have travelled to Sham Shui Po to source many of the supplies that I use in fashion styling and later on the finishing materials that we use in our garments. Some of the details that have shaped Maligaya were discovered in those streets, among the fabric stores, notion shops and craftspeople that make the district such a special place for designers. It’s just surreal that the places that once supported my creative process are now also acknowledging the work itself.

Could you tell us how your collection reflects your cultural identity and background as a Filipino designer? 

The brand has always centered on Filipino heritage and nostalgia, but as contemporary design. We’ve been transforming heirloom textiles, ganchillo (crochet) and local embroidery into modern clothing and have created a language that’s distinctly Filipino while resonating internationally. We try to offer a different perspective on Filipino fashion, one that honors where we come from while looking forward. I want people to see that our culture is rich, dynamic and capable of contributing something meaningful to the global fashion conversation. 

How has preparing for this showcase challenged you creatively or technically, and how has it changed the way you think about your brand’s future?

It has challenged me a lot creatively as to how to refine what Maligaya is as a brand. I started to ask myself, “What do people want to see? What do I want people to remember? What would be the best design to represent what Maligaya is as a brand?” This has pushed me to be more intentional, not just with the garments, but with the story behind them. 

Preparing for this showcase also has encouraged us to elevate every detail, from construction and finishing, to how we’re gonna present the collection as a whole. It reminded me that craftsmanship isn’t just about making beautiful clothes but also creating pieces that communicate care, quality and purpose. It also reinforced in me that the staying true to our identity is our greatest strength, rather than trying to fit in the international market. I want to continue building a brand that’s unmistakably Filipino while speaking to people everywhere.

Looking ahead, what kind of opportunities or conversations do you hope this recognition opens for you?

I’ve always believed that Filipino design has a unique voice, and I’d love to see more opportunities for our stories, craftsmanship, and heritage to be part of the global fashion conversation. Whether that’s through working with artisans, collaborating with other designers, or connecting with new audiences, I think there’s so much we can learn from one another. I hope this inspires people to look at Filipino fashion in a new light. If this recognition helps create more space for Filipino designers to be seen and heard internationally, I’d be really happy to be part of that.

The 10 Designers to Watch exhibition will be presented in Hong Kong from September 5 to 13, 2026, before traveling to Shanghai Fashion Week from October 9 to 16, 2026.