Fashion has always been a medium of art. Much like painting, dance, theater, and the like, it requires inspiration, mastery of technique, and passion. Designers craft pieces that make each wearer feel like a work of art. In some cases, they go all out, creating pieces that deserve a place and a spotlight in a museum.

That’s what Yuchengco Museum’s latest exhibit is all about—fashion that borders on visual art. Dubbed “Art2Wear,” the exhibit features the works of Filipino creatives Steve De Leon and Joel Wijangco, as they highlight the country’s vibrant heritage through artisanal creations.

Joel had long aspired to become a designer, but most of his works were created for self-expression rather than retail. It wasn’t until he joined a national footwear design competition led by the Philippine Footwear Federation Inc. that he began taking the craft more seriously. Though luck wasn’t on his side then, his shoe designs continued to be noticed, not just in the Philippines but also overseas.

Blurring the line between fashion, sculpture, and social commentary, Joel’s designs mostly draw inspiration from the unusual. Among them are “Palengkera No. 1,” inspired by the fish vendors of Malabon’s wet markets; “Bo-Ho (Body Horror),” a twisted stiletto reflecting body dysmorphia; and “Mahadera,” which stemmed from a couple’s conversation overheard during a jeepney ride.

“Everything about design, I taught myself,” Joel tells Manila Bulletin Lifestyle. “To make shoes, I went to SoFA to learn how they are made. Back then, the sapateros would say I designed crazy things because I didn’t know how to make shoes. So I learned how to do it, and my designs became doable… and this was before Lady Gaga entered the scene.”

The exhibit showcases over 25 handcrafted shoes, including “Sister’s Favorite,” a noodle-inspired heel made during his sister’s breast cancer journey; “Bond(age),” an ox-red stiletto with six buckles and a golden halo, satirizing the trap of lifelong commitment; “Osuang,” a Gothic heel born from colonial anxieties around Filipina sensuality, reimagined for tropical vampires; and “Fitting ni Sioning,” based on a shoe fitting with his grandmother, who revealed a tenderness hidden behind decades of sharpness.

“I design shoes the way some people write memoirs,” says Joel. “Each pair is a story… sometimes mine, sometimes borrowed, always intimate and strange.”

Steve de Leon built a career in the local fashion scene as a conceptual designer, known for his avant-garde Filipiniana. His works often feature indigenous materials and recycled fragments of vintage Filipiniana. These pieces eventually earned him accolades, including the Grand Prize at the Philippine Art Awards in 1995, and he went on to represent the Philippines in the ASEAN Art Awards.

For the exhibit, Steve presents two collections: “Misteryong Birheng Maria” (1990–1991) and “The Mysteries of Light” (2020). Through these works, he seeks to unite the traditions of Filipino heritage with the ever-changing landscape of today’s society. His devout faith informs much of his work, elevating fashion to a medium of spiritual expression.

Apart from his haute Filipinowear, Steve also displays works on canvas that pay homage to 500 years of Philippine Christianity. Instead of using paint, he employed textiles and embellishments to depict “Ferdinand Magellan with the Sto. Niño,” the “Cebu Sea,” and the precolonial “Hara Humamay.”

“I’ve been a fashion designer for over 40 years. It is natural for me to extend my creativity from clothes to other platforms. There comes a point where you have to evolve,” Steve says.

Biblical characters and scenes also come alive in his haute Filipinowear, such as “Jesus Christ,” an armor-like barong made of Itneg’s handwoven Tingguian blanket. Also must-sees are “Luzon,” “Visayas,” and “Mindanao”—three pieces that reimagine the Philippines’ main geographical divisions as women clad in local tapestries from each region, showcasing the designer’s passion and penchant for spotlighting native culture.

“Art2Wear” runs until Oct. 24, 2025, at the Yuchengco Museum, RCBC Plaza, corner Ayala Avenue and Senator Gil J. Puyat Avenue, Makati City.