For Its Third Edition, Vogue Threads Manila 2026 Builds a Village

From fashion and cultural heritage to wellness, art, and conversations on the future of creativity, Vogue Philippines’ three-day event brought the country’s creative community together in Pasay City.

Two years ago, Vogue Threads began to connect Filipino fashion with the world, with its first iteration held in Paris and Manila. For its inaugural exhibition, 23 Filipino designers showcased their work through maquettes. Last year, the second edition uplifted the Filipino creative community, with a photo exhibition that raised funds for the Vogue Philippines Fashion Fund.

This year, Vogue Threads built itself a village at The Henry Hotel in Pasay City. Named Vogue Village, the three-day event was a curated experience that honors the artisans, communities, and cultural stewards behind Filipino creativity. Inside, five houses were transformed into experience spaces spanning fashion, beauty, and culture.

At the Fashion House, a five-part exhibition explored the relationship between memory, tradition, and innovation in Filipino fashion. In “Keepers of Memory,” designers shared personal objects and archival pieces that showed the influences behind their work. The exhibition featured contributions from Patis Tesoro, Josie Natori, Wynn Wynn Ong, Lulu Tan-Gan, Rita Nazareno, Joyce Makitalo, Len Cabili, Mich Ducle, Natalya Lagdameo, Gabbie Sarenas, Bea and Marga Valdes, and Jo Ann Bitagcol.

It also housed the work of Michelline Syjuco, whose mixed-media wearable artWearable ArtClothing and accessories designed as artistic expression as much as functional dress, often featuring sculptural forms, hand-painted details, or experimental techniques. Wearable art blurs the line between fashion and fineGo to Wearable Art Glossary drew on fantasy, sorcery, and unconventional forms. Down the hall, Iñigo Elizalde’s recreation of his working studio invited visitors to explore the experiments and processes behind his rug designs.

The Beauty House immersed attendees in a seven-step sensory journey curated around the words “dama,” the act of sensing and feeling, and “ginhawa,” the state of relief and ease.

Visitors were welcomed with suob, a traditional steam ritual, before moving into a space centered on the duyan and the soothing rhythms of a Filipino lullaby. In other rooms, the sound of the gandingan, a set of bronze gongs associated with the Maguindanao kulintang ensemble, encouraged visitors to pause and listen.

Inside a room covered in custom banig from San Juan, Ilocos Sur, guests experienced a guided somatic gratitude meditation. In another space, guests shared written prompts with Ges Jaicten of the Iloilo Typewriter Poets Collective, who transformed their thoughts into personalized poems.

The experience ended with sorbetes created by chef Reggie Aspiras and a planting activity inspired by the Filipino bakuran, or home garden. With medicinal plants curated by public health physician Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan, visitors were invited to reflect on what they wanted to cultivate in their lives and plant their intentions in the soil.

The next house was the Vogue Lounge, an interactive space with curated interpretations of heritage, creativity, and design. The Cream Silk Salon offered a space for hairstyling and self-expression, while the Sony Listening Lounge revisited the appeal of analog sound through vinyl and modern audio technology. At the Bocu Lounge, the brand’s holiday collection was presented alongside fragrances and live performances by the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra.

Curated by scenographer and exhibition designer Gino Gonzales, the Culture House explored dance, music, sculpture, literature, film, and painting through the work of Filipino artists and cultural practitioners.

The Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group presented traditional dances and music representing the country’s major island groups. Its performances highlighted the range of movement, sound, and cultural expression found across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

In sculpture, master whittler Romy Afable demonstrated kayas, the wood-whittling tradition of Pakil, Laguna, where he had practiced since 1965. Working primarily with kayétana wood, Afable transformed the material into birds, señorita fans, and other objects.

The literary arts were represented by Tboli artist and cultural activist Rosie Godwino Sula, recognized as a National Living Treasure in 2023 for her work in Tboli chanting. Her practice preserves stories, customary law, and ancestral wisdom through oral tradition, including the epic Tudbulul.

The exhibition also showcased the work of National Artist for Film Kidlat Tahimik, whose independent filmmaking and concept of kapa-kapa, or feeling one’s way forward, offered another perspective on creative intuition. Meanwhile, Yakan musician, weaver, and dancer Adelaida Ahaddas brought attention to tanyak-tanyak, a traditional face-painting ritual in which geometric markings connect the body to Yakan textile patterns and cultural identity.

Lastly, the House of Experts by Allure Philippines welcomed visitors with personalized approaches to beauty and self-care. David’s Salon offered hair and scalp consultations, while L’Oréal Groupe’s Balai Beauté drew inspiration from the Filipino balay, or home, through local craftsmanship, product displays, and thoughtful keepsakes.

Art was also present at the Galerie Joaquin exhibition, which featured works by Ramon and Anna Orlina and Michael Cacnio, alongside pieces by the late Juvenal Sansó and National Artist Frederico Aguilar-Alcuaz.

This year also introduced the first Vogue Café pop-up in the Philippines. For the inaugural edition, chef Rhea Rizzo of Mrs. Saldo’s curated a menu that drew on familiar Filipino flavors and her own food memories from around the world.

Across three days, Vogue Talks brought together editors, designers, historians, artists, and industry professionals to discuss the ideas shaping creative practice today.

The program began with “The Making of the Anniversary Issue,” where Vogue Philippines editor-in-chief Trickie Lopa, deputy editor Pam Quiñones, and art director Jann Pascua discussed the development of the magazine’s September/October 2026 issue, including its Olivia Rodrigo cover photographed by Szilveszter Makó.

National Artis for Design Patis Tesoro then joined designer Lulu Tan-Gan for “Threads of Tradition: The Art and Life of Patis Tesoro,” a conversation about the designer’s decades-long commitment to Filipiniana, Philippine textiles, and traditional craftsmanship.

The second day turned to the realities of sustaining a creative practice. In “Capitalizing the Craft: How Creatives Can Scale Their Businesses,” designers Vania Romoff and Hindy Weber joined investment strategist Chrissi Morillo to discuss the relationship between artistic vision and business strategy. Another panel, “Past, Present, Precious: Filipino Heritage and Contemporary JewelryJewelryDecorative adornments worn on the body, from fine pieces in gold, diamonds, and pearls to fashion jewelry made of accessible materials. Jewelry completes an outfit and often holds sentimental orGo to Jewelry Glossary,” featured Candy Dizon, Mark Wilson, Michelline Syjuco, and Allan Matudio in a discussion of cultural references and materials informing their work.

Historian Ambeth Ocampo also examined the role of artificial intelligence in research, archiving, and storytelling in “Prompting the Past, Archiving the Present: AI in the Era of Disinformation.”

On the final day, conversations expanded to wellness, personal style, and the future of creative work. “The Art of Longevity” considered aging and well-being, while “Personal Style in the Age of Social Media” examined the influences shaping how people dress and express themselves. The program concluded with “Intelligence, Agency, and the Future,” a conversation featuring cultural worker Jorell Legaspi, art curator and critic Marian Pastor Roces, and new media artist Tad Ermitaño.

At the end of Vogue Threads ManilaVogue Threads ManilaVogue Philippines' annual fashion platform for emerging talent, featuring exhibitions, masterclasses, talks, portfolio reviews, and Vogue Faces. Vogue Threads Manila connects young Filipino creatives with industry leaders, and it showcasesGo to Vogue Threads Manila Glossary 2026, one phrase was on our minds: “It takes a village.” Not only to raise a child, but to uplift culture, craftsmanship, and creative communities.