Designers Jojie Lloren and Joey Samson on Building a Career in Fashion

Emphasizing education and identity, F.A.B. Creatives co-founder Jojie Lloren and mentor Joey Samson speak to the next generation of Filipino designers at Vogue Threads Manila 2025.

For young creatives eager to enter the fashion industry, a common instinct is to seek blueprints from the lives of acclaimed designers: to look at where they studied, who their mentors were, and what they’re known for. These details can be inspiring, revealing the avenues through which established names first met recognition, but they can’t spell one’s own path, and they seldom tell the whole story.

Reflecting on more than three decades of professional practice, Jojie Lloren and Joey Samson take the stage at Vogue Threads Manila 2025 to share insider insights, craft tips, and the mindsets that nurtured their careers as artists and teachers at the Manila-based fashion school, F.A.B. Creatives.

Kicking off the masterclass, the two designers establish that fashion is more than just a love for clothes; it is a global industry that combines creativity with technical skill and business strategy. “Aspiring professionals must look past the glamour and embrace the business side of the industry. It’s professionalism and execution that drives careers forward,” Joey says.

They discuss the advantages of honing one’s financial and marketing skills, as the job requires an understanding of contracts, rates, invoices, and other means of ensuring that every actor is given their due. This, Jojie shares, is what fosters a brand’s longevity and allows for sustainable operations.

The conversation turns inward as they talk about the importance of knowing your strengths, emphasizing that a career in fashion begins with self-awareness and the curiosity to find the specific roles that speak to your abilities and potential. Beyond fashion design, Jojie lists the roles of stylists, photographers, illustrators, and writers as equally important, while Joey shares that studying and taking on apprenticeships are the quickest way to learn.

Talent can lead to opportunities, but being open to instruction paves the way for the rest of the path. “[You] need education because it builds [your] foundation. So that will strengthen, that will enhance your talent,” says Jojie. Recalling his days in the Young Designers’ Guild and his 7-year apprenticeship to Danilo Franco, Joey emphasizes that continuing one’s studies, both in and outside the studio, can lead to discovering talents that may otherwise have been untapped.

The talk proceeds as they voice the significance of fostering one’s work ethic. “Hand in hand with creativity is reliability and discipline. Your reputation is your most valuable asset,” Jojie remarks. They share that being a professional comes with the task of upholding commitments made with clients, peers, and employees, keeping in mind that while connections open doors, the act of following through is what brings your future to fruition.

The two also confront the realities of the industry, from its competitive nature to the expenses that come with the job. They frame these challenges as chances, rejections as redirections, and underscore that there is always room for originality. “Each creative, we each have our own journey,” Joey comments, “so we just have to be very patient, and we just have to keep on striving.”

Among other lessons, they note that fashion is expensive before it pays you; clients honor boundaries when you clarify them from the beginning; and there is always the option to create your own opportunities.

Wrapping up the discussion, Jojie and Joey return to the topic of identity, stressing that a personal brand or signature style is a matter of authorship. Cultivating a distinct design language, one of Joey’s main touchpoints with students, is an opportunity to express your authentic self and stand out in a memorable way. They encourage the crowd to chase innovations and integrate sustainability as an essential element of one’s practice.

As a final note, the two designers leave the crowd with a reminder, that while being technically “good” matters, success lies in the contentment one finds on their own terms, and in allowing oneself to be seen, inspired, and taught by the greater community.

By AYLLI CORTEZ. Photographs by GABRIEL VILLAREAL. Digital associate editor: Chelsea Sarabia. Producer: Bianca Zaragoza. Digital multimedia artists: Bea Lu, Myc Priestley.