Jaggy Glarino, Joyce Makitalo, Rita Nazareno, and Noel Manapat on Crafting Fashion for the Future 

In a conversation with deputy editor Trickie Lopa, established designers Jaggy Glarino, Joyce Makitalo, and Rita Nazareno, and stylist Noel Manapat discuss what it means to create with the future in mind.

Day four of Vogue Threads Manila 2025 opens with a forward-looking conversation on what it means to design and style for the future. In a world where technology, sustainability, and cultural identity are reshaping the landscape of fashion, four distinct creative voices came together to reflect on their creative rituals and how these shape the next generation of Philippine fashion. At the heart of the discussion was a question that resonates across design today: what does it mean to create with the future in mind?

The panel brings together designer Jaggy Glarino, jewelry artist Joyce Makitalo, creative consultant and stylist Noel Manapat, and Emmy Award-winning producer turned designer Rita Nazareno. Moderated by Trickie Lopa, Vogue Philippines’ deputy editor for arts and culture, the session aimed to explore how heritage and technological innovation converge in the creative process, the continuous decolonization and hyper-localization of Philippine fashion, and what these might mean for the future of the industry.

Each speaker arrives with a different vantage point. Glarino, a self-taught designer who has taken Philippine craft from the Bench Design Awards to Tokyo Fashion Week and the International Fashion Showcase in London, reflects on how a growing inward interest in Philippine craft and fashion has opened up a world of possibilities for the industry, leveraging local with “world-class” craft.

“In the past decade, I feel there is a rekindled self love for the Filipino craft, for what we can do and what we can offer. It’s very empowering for a young designer like me,” Glarino reflects. “Being Filipino [should be] the starting point of your brand, your business, and your craft. It starts with your own story.”

Makitalo, known for her sculptural jewelry under J Mäkitalo, emphasizes the role of her close collaborations with goldsmiths and artisan communities, underscoring the value of local craftsmanship in a globalized world. Eco-consciousness and long-term sustainability, she shares, begin with taking notice of your own personal daily practices: “Sustainability starts at home.”

Nazareno, creative director of Zacarias1925 and co-creative director of Nazareno/Lichauco, speaks of bringing contemporary perspective to handwoven traditions, and how designing across categories (bags, accessories, and home) has expanded her practice. 

“It is so important to be conscious of the little things and to decolonize our minds,” Nazareno advises young designers. “The people around you are not your competition; these are the people that will help you, that will be your community. That’s how we [move forward] as a country.”

Meanwhile, Manapat, in his dual role as creative consultant for Suyen Corporation and longtime fashion stylist, contextualizes the impact of cultural platforms like Ternocon, and reflects on the importance of creating with culture in mind, valuing process, and bringing local craft forward in a digital-first world. “The only way you can go international is if you are national. Your uniqueness is your selling point,” he shares. “There is always space for every unique voice.”

The conversation moves across themes: the impact of cultural defining moments like the pandemic in Philippine fashion over the past decade, the opportunities and limitations presented by artificial intelligence and social media, and the role of sustainability in creative practice. Each panelist emphasizes how “Philippine-made” has become increasingly resonant, both at home and overseas, and how this broadens what’s possible.

As the session closes, the four panelists leave the audience with one shared message: that the future of fashion lies in weaving together past and present, tradition and technology, global relevance and Filipino identity.

By BIANCA CUSTODIO. Photographs by GABRIEL VILLAREAL. Digital associate editor: Chelsea Sarabia. Producer: Bianca Zaragoza. Multimedia artists: Bea Lu, Myc Priestley.