Happy Andrada Marks 25 Years in Fashion With Pinoy Playlist Musikahan 2026

The Filipino designer collaborates with vocal group The Company for a runway showcase of 25 signature looks.

Over the past 25 years in fashion, Happy Andrada has experienced it all: designing bridal robes, ready-to-wear outfits, and even avant-gardeAvant-gardeExperimental, boundary-pushing design that challenges conventional ideas of beauty, shape, and dress. Avant-garde fashion favors unusual silhouettes, materials, and concepts, often appearing on runways and in editorials before its ideasGo to Avant-garde Glossary pieces. But one thing that hasn’t changed is her determination to represent the Philippines, whether through the weaves she incorporates into her work, the textiles she uses, or anything that reflects the country’s culture, wherever she’s abroad.

To celebrate her quarter-century milestone in fashion, Andrada will present 25 of her designs on the runwayRunwayThe platform or catwalk on which models present a designer's collection to an audience of editors, buyers, and guests. Runway shows establish the creative statement of a season, and Vogue'sGo to Runway Glossary as part of Pinoy Playlist Musikahan 2026. The show will also feature The Company, the country’s premier vocal harmony group.

For Andrada, collaborating with The Company is a full-circle moment. She grew up watching the group perform on night shows and admiring their stylish looks. Their participation makes the show even more special as she prepares to present a collection celebrating her 25 years in the industry.

Known for embracing the diversity of her work, she is also planning to show what she calls “fun and timeless” with looks that blend traditional weaves with touches of funk and disco. The twist? Senior citizens will model her work.

“It’s like people from all walks of life. I also included titos and titas of Manila, so it’s like you don’t have to be young just to enjoy fashion or to be a model. Just celebrate who you are. It’s always a milestone,” she says.

Beyond celebrating diversity through the people she works with, Andrada is mindful of cultural sensitivities in her use of Philippine textiles. She has worked with textiles and materials like piña, abaca, t’nalak, binakol, and Yakan weaves, which she likes to mix to symbolize the idea of “being united.” But when creating these pieces, she emphasizes that she always consulted with the weavers on how she could design with them, especially when working with cultures that prefer not to show much skin. She says this is one reason her designs may appear “conservative.”

“I started as an avant-gardeAvant-gardeExperimental, boundary-pushing design that challenges conventional ideas of beauty, shape, and dress. Avant-garde fashion favors unusual silhouettes, materials, and concepts, often appearing on runways and in editorials before its ideasGo to Avant-garde Glossary designer. When I started, there weren’t a lot of people supporting avant-garde. Right now, though, it’s really nice that a lot of people are creating [it], a lot of people are supporting local textiles and local fashion, wearing avant-garde outfits,” she says.

“I [also] remember creating ready-to-wear outfits using weaves way back, and at that time, not a lot of people were buying them because it wasn’t [much] of a thing yet. But it has always been an advocacy of mine to support the weavers.”

After 25 years, Andrada still finds it exciting to work with clients and create customized clothes, especially when she gets to work with local weavers and artisans. Moving forward, she hopes to venture further into art and explore more projects that give back to the community. One of her latest collaborations was with the nonprofit organization Fundación Sansó, where she presented a fashion show to support its arts program.

“It’s nice to support scholarship grants for artists and artisans that keep [their craft] alive. [It] gives more meaning to supporting people, so it’s something I look forward to. It’s exciting to create different things and also help people.”

Happy Andrada’s 25th anniversary show will be on October 17, 2026, at BGC Arts Center.