Photographed by Koji Arboleda for the September 2024 Issue of Vogue Man Philippines
London-based designer Nicomede Talavera’s infuses his collections with heritage, modernity, and play.
For British-Filipino menswear designer Nicomede Talavera, his personal taste in design has always been rooted in a play on contrasts. “I was always fascinated by clothing. How it represents so much of who you are and how you present yourself to the world,” he says. “Menswear came very naturally to me as I myself loved to mix and style different menswear classics together.” He says that a man’s wardrobe can be recognizable, appealing, and handsome in “so many special ways.”
Having graduated from Central Saint Martins with both a Bachelor’s degree and a Masters in Fashion, Talavera cites this “complete freedom to explore, experiment, and play with the idea of what fashion is,” with defining his formative years. The reigning menswear designers of his youth also left a lasting influence on his own evocative aesthetic. “It was a time when menswear was very progressive,” he shares. “With designers such as Comme des Garçons, Prada, Helmut Lang, Hedi Slimane, and Raf Simons pushing the idea of what menswear can be.” Coupled with his time interning in London, Paris, and New York, “where I was exposed to really beautiful fabrication, thoughtful finishes, and timeless designing,” his work has often straddled both the avant-garde and the classic.
Under the guidance of his CSM professor, the late and inimitable Louise Wilson, whose students have included British design luminaries such as Alexander McQueen and Christopher Kane, Talavera further deepened his craft. “Louise Wilson
was a formidable teacher with so much intuition into what is fresh and pure modernity. I was pushed to my limits and challenged.”
Today, years since founding his own label, Nicomede, which has been carried at retailers from Dover Street Market to Opening Ceremony to Selfridges, Talavera continues to place his ongoing creative exploration at the forefront of his work.
With his most recent collections (which he refers to by “episodes” rather than seasons), he draws inspiration from his own heritage. A second-generation Londoner, whose parents immigrated from the Philippines, Talavera spent many vacations as a child visiting their home country.
“Over the last couple of years, I have been visiting the Philippines every few months. Especially for research and finding a deeper connection to my ancestors and the Filipino spirit. I am constantly learning and approaching it all with curiosity and a playful outlook. From Episode 5, I started this transition to introduce Filipino identity and artistry into my work. One of my most vivid memories of my trips to the Philippines is the vivid sunsets and island spirit.”
In these episodes, rolling sunsets are introduced by way of psychedelic, abstract prints on trousers, polos and coats. Hypnotic, cosmic scenes are hand-painted on leather buttons to illustrate the sun’s movement, rising (or setting) across the front of a stark white jacket. A study in contrasting textures and silhouettes that reflects both a forward-thinking yet nostalgic interpretation of life in the tropics. Minimalist yet luxurious, slouchy yet refined, worn as if one had stumbled from an elegant evening out onto the beach at dawn.
On returning to the Philippines most recently to shoot his past two collections for Vogue Philippines, Talavera says that he has every issue since the release and “it is so beautiful to have this archive of our culture. I feel that I am expanding so much not only [in] fashion but in what makes our culture so unique.”
He says that bringing his collections to the Philippines for the first time was so special. “I was able to reflect on my archive and see what truly resonates with me,” Talavera shares. “I would choose the look with the sampaguita flowers as my favorite. So iconic and beautiful to our culture. A humble tribute.”
Busy at work on his next collection, which he describes as “a proposal on Filipino artistry and modernity with a global outlook,” Talavera shares that he hopes to never give up his creatively inquisitive sensibilities.
“What excites me is that I am forever evolving. Not just within my creativity, but spiritually too. Both combining together and inspiring each other. Everyday is filled with so much creation and gratitude to celebrate this intention and gift to the world.”
By SAM POTENCIANO. Photographs by KOJI ARBOLEDA. Styling by ANZ HIZON. Makeup: Noel Inocencio. Hair:
Carlo Roblico. Model: Aidan Palis of New Monarq Manila, Ethan Fabella of PMAP. Producer: Anz Hizon. Production Design: Migs Alcid. Nails: Extraordinail. Photographer’s Assistant: JV Rabano. Stylist’s Assistant: Anya Granados, Chelsea Sarabia, Julia Magsino, Julian Rodriguez, Kyla Chuasiaokong.
