When we think of Filipino fashion, what often comes to mind are images of Filipiniana. Whether it’s a pristine terno, a modern barong, or a contemporary piece featuring local tapestries, it can be difficult to shake off that vision of Filipino wear. While there is no fault in that, it represents only one layer of a larger story.

Contrary to popular belief, Filipino fashion isn’t confined to formal occasions or historical silhouettes. It is also embedded in everyday life, where dressing becomes a dialogue between ease, humor, and sustainability. In recent years, designers and brands have reimagined the pambahay, creating playful pieces from fabrics like katsa and kumot.

One designer who has been diversifying the design codes of Filipino fashion is Carl Jan Cruz. Since establishing his namesake design house, CJ, as he is most fondly called, has used his creations to champion local craftsmanship and transform clothing into “visual autobiographies”— pieces that are deeply personal and capture Filipino life beyond the traditional sense.

That is evident in his sophomore capsule collection with premier multibrand fashion retailer Univers. Rooted in the contemporary Filipino experience, the “Carl Jan Cruz x Univers Vol. II” collection refines the dialogue between everyday Filipino dressing and sharp construction. Although the pieces draw inspiration from the minimalist ease of the pambahay, they are designed to be worn beyond the comfort of the living room.

“The focus now is on defining what a wardrobe means when it is both contemporary and Filipino. Over the last decade, my team and I have built a body of work rooted in references from our archives and collective memory, simmering these details into a T-shirt, a hoodie, or a jacket,” CJ explains. “We have established our design codes, but we continually ask ourselves: what shades have we not worked with, what colors have we not developed or remixed? Often it becomes very personal—if I cannot stand behind a color on its own, no textile or cut can convince me otherwise. This consideration has shaped the brand’s constant pursuit of blurring timelines of what Filipino aesthetics had, have, and will be.”

“Vol. II” is all about contrasts—volume and restraint, refined and raw, and work and play. It features balloon trousers reworked with darts and pleating, double-bubble saya skirts, and trapeze tent dresses with corseted fronts. Cropped polos, reversible blouses, and overshirts with rounded or pointy collars reflect CJ’s ease-with-subversion approach, encouraging layering and re-styling. The collection’s free-cuff jeans and barrel-cut Kayod trousers spotlight the design team’s textile exploration, particularly with chambray and Japanese denim.

One of the collection’s highlights is the team’s attention to detail. Stitchings and frills add charm to Teodora daster dress, while pleats and raw edges embody the designer’s philosophy of finding beauty in the unexpected.

“It’s been about three years since we last collaborated with CJ—and I’m seeing a much more evolved range,” says Jappy Gonzalez, Univers managing director. “I mean this in every aspect: styling, fitting, quality of production, quality of design—all while maintaining the overall spirit of the brand. It intersects because the brand evolves and defines its own spirit, not with a trend in mind, but through personal and brand growth.”

The “Carl Jan Cruz x Univers Vol. II” collection is now at univers.ph.