JUN ESCARIO top and TINA CAMPOS JEWELRY necklaces. Photographed by Borgy Angeles for the September 2025 Issue of Vogue Philippines
On the island of Cebu, the intersection of cuisine and clothing reveals how local heritage and creativity come together through sensory storytelling.
At the market in Carbon, a woman peels mangoes with the steadiness of someone who has done it for decades. Beside her, a vendor ladles steaming pusô (rice wrapped in woven coconut leaves) while another trims slabs of lechon with a rhythm that reads like the process of hemming. Upon observation, there is a sense of precision guiding the hands of these vendors. Much like the rest of the Philippines, Cebu’s culinary traditions are rooted in this sense of touch, with work done by hand and guided by memory. In local markets teeming with salt and smoke, fruit, and the slick sheen of roast meat, there are fingerprints of the island’s culture: an instinct that also helps shape the region’s fashion.
When New York’s Museum at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) mounted Food & Fashion in 2023, the exhibit explored how designers use food as both inspiration and commentary. From fruit-trimmed hats and pomegranate embroidery to pieces dyed with avocado waste, the exhibit featured over 80 garments and accessories and examined how food-themed fashion reflects deeper issues like luxury, sustainability, consumerism, and body politics. In Cebu, these connections feel more lived-in.
Local designers have long drawn from the language of the table. Axel Que’s pieces, in tones of ivory, beige, olive, and taupe, evoke the same restraint found in a well-balanced dish. His designs move between structure and lightness, defined but never heavy-handed. Jun Escario’s reimagined barongs, made of abaca silk and finished with calado bib details, reflect a respect for craft similar to the care given to heirloom recipes. Some local labels even make the connection more direct, collaborating with food brands and experimenting with materials like mango-hued silk and rice beadwork.
Sarah Tutor’s Hosanna collection, inspired by faith and nature, features palm-shaped curves traced in bias tape. It recalls the repetition and patience that go into preparing food meant to be shared. Similarly, jewelry designer Tina Campos works with freshwater pearls, red corals, and jasper stones, all materials sourced close to home. Here, she crafts pieces that mirror the natural palette of the island’s coastlines. Across these works, designers use their craft as a medium for telling stories of place.
This same instinct extends beyond the atelier. Across Cebu, creative spaces are reimagining how heritage can evolve, whether through fabric, form, or flavor. At NUSTAR Resort & Casino on Kawit Island, that dialogue unfolds through food, where Cebu’s dining scene takes on a new expression by bridging local culinary roots with global influences. Mott 32 introduces award-winning Cantonese cuisine to the country, while Fina revisits Filipino recipes passed through generations. Il Primo offers Italian fine dining, and Kazuwa Prime presents Japanese teppanyaki freshly prepared before guests. Each concept brings different influences to the island while keeping a sense of local familiarity.
It’s a philosophy that mirrors the work of many of the region’s designers and artisans. For them, creativity often begins with what’s already within reach, and building on techniques passed through families. And in Cebu, food and fashion move in parallel. Both are built on repetition, skill, and care; gestures honed over time and carried forward through touch. A well-made garment and a bowl of larang or tinola may speak to different senses, but they tell the same story: one of memory, craft, and place, and much like the vendors at each market, the island and its people continue to create with intention.
By GAB YAP and DANYL GENECIRAN. Photographs by BORGY ANGELES. Styling by NEIL DE GUZMAN. Vogue Man Editor: DANYL GENECIRAN. Media Channels Editor: Anz Hizon. Producer: Julian Rodriguez. Makeup: Kian Valencia. Hair: Wesley Jay. Model: Daniel Christopher Po. Videographer: Lorenzo Corro. Photography Assistant: Rojan Maguyon. Shot on location at NUSTAR Resort & Casino Cebu.
