Established in 2014, Manila Fashion Festival has grown to become the Philippines’ most prominent fashion week, showcasing the distinctive collections of both established and emerging Philippine designers. The Manila Fashion Festival has expanded its reach beyond the Philippine borders through PH MODE x TYO, a collaborative international iteration of the festival. 
 

Created in partnership with Stylem, Japan’s leading fabric trading company, PH MODE x TYO takes center stage twice a year in Tokyo during Rakuten Fashion Week. This groundbreaking collaboration not only bridges cultures but also offers a platform for the fusion of Japan's quality fabrics and the Philippines’ indigenous materials. For its second walk on the Rakuten Fashion Week stage, Filipino fashion label . Archives has championed the traditional binakol fabric with creations by designer Ellis Co. 
 

Together with .Archives, five of the Philippines’s leading designers showcased an exclusive collective ensemble by merging Japan's quality fabric with Philippines’ binakol, a woven fabric originating from Northern Luzon, inabel fabric of Ilocos, and piña (Pineapple) fabric. 

"After our recently concluded showcase in Manila, we're excited to be back in Tokyo for PH Mode SS24. This season, we wanted the focal point to be the integration of indigenous fabric in .Archives silhouettes. With binakol as our main fabric of choice, we felt that the fabric's twisting, optical illusion-like patterns would be an interesting element in our pieces," creative director Aya Reika Mayani says.

Building upon its impressive debut, the brand captivated the fashion world once again on Sept. 1 at the Shibuya Hikarie Hall B, situated in the vibrant heart of Shibuya City. At the helm of this visionary venture are designer Co and Mayani, whose combined expertise infuses the collection with emotion, ideas, and moments frozen in time. The complement between their creative visions resulted in an unforgettable runway experience that encapsulated the essence of .Archives as a future-oriented conceptwear brand.

The young visionary Ellis Co showcased nine looks, alongside four Filipino designers. The binakol fabric, renowned for its mesmerizing illusionistic patterns, served as the focal point of the all-Filipino team’s collection, illustrating the brand's commitment to marrying tradition with innovation.
 

"The process of building the collection was definitely a creative journey that involved not only taking inspiration from our Filipino roots, but also looking into how we can continuously innovate and forward our art as designers into each concept," said Co.

Following the runway show, an exclusive invite-only trade exhibit was held at the elegant Carato71 Daikanyama event space in Tokyo. This exhibition showcased meticulously crafted pieces alongside works from fellow Filipinos, Japanese, and international designers, solidifying the brand’s position at the forefront of fashion innovation and cross-cultural collaboration.