Palengke by Jilliane Santos and Paulina Dayrit Embraces the Unexpected

What began as a curious experiment between two friends has grown into Palengke, a brand shaped by the unorthodox beauty of ordinary Filipino life.

For Jilliane Santos and Paulina Dayrit, the childhood comrades behind Palengke, the brand emerged from a pivotal chapter in their lives. “We started conceptualizing Palengke when we were around 20, and now we’re about 25,” Jill says, describing a “very transition-heavy, coming-of-age period.” In its earliest days, the label was instinctive and playful. “It’s not that the brand isn’t playful anymore,” she notes. “But that playfulness has shifted and matured along with us.”

From the outset, Palengke has been anchored in three ideas: kulit, sulit, and craft. Launched during the pandemic as what Paulina calls “a curious experiment,” it began without formal training in fashion or business, driven by a shared urge to make “the things we simply wanted to see exist in the world,” from lighters crafted using the Pukpuk technique to a balikbayan box turned into a handbag in Marikina.

Their Zoomer personalities are tightly woven into the brand. Naturally shy, they use Palengke as a space where their playful side can come through, elevating and commodifying inanimate objects into high-end products. “We enjoy not taking things too seriously,” Paulina says. Inspiration comes from the everyday: colors, typography, packaging, architecture, and forms in nature, translated into pieces that feel normative but slightly offbeat.

Storytelling is paramount to Palengke’s visual identity. Lookbooks, campaigns, and the website act as extensions of the brand’s universe rather than mere marketing. “Because the brand is so story-driven, visuals are really the only way we know how to communicate what we’re trying to say,” Jill explains. With Paulina leading art direction, the brand conjures a mischievous world through heavy typefaces and Martin Parr–esque photography. “We see Palengke very much like our own playground.”

As Palengke continues to grow, the founders have become tastemakers and advocates, collaborating with local artisans and revamping antiquated crafts into objects of hype.

Photographs by JV RABANO. Styling by NEIL DE GUZMAN. Talents: Krizia Jimenez, Steph Verano, Renée de Guzman, Jill Santos, and Paulina Dayrit. Models: Francheska of Luminary Models and Harold of Monarq Models. Makeup: Booya Mocorro. Hair: Gab Villegas. Producer: Bianca Zaragoza. Stylist: Neil de Guzman. Multimedia Artist: Mcaine Carlos. Editorial Assistant: Mavi Sulangi. Photography Assistants: Choi Narciso and PJ Salazar. Shot on location at Archive Haus