PUP Fashion Week 2026: Merkado celebrates Filipino culture through fashion
PUP Fashion Week 2026 (Photos: PUP)
Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) Fashion Week 2026: Merkado concluded its three-day showcase on July 25, turning the runway into a celebration of Filipino culture, craftsmanship, identity, and creativity.
Presented by PUP Icons in partnership with the University Center for Culture and the Arts (UCCA), Merkado was inspired by the Filipino marketplace—a place where communities, traditions, livelihoods, and stories come together.
The three-day event featured three chapters: “Ani ng Gulayan,” “Sigla ng Prutasan,” and “Laman ng Merkado.” Each chapter explored a different side of Filipino life, with designers drawing inspiration from agriculture, local markets, family traditions, sustainability, community, and personal experiences.
PUP Fashion Week 2026
The opening chapter, “Ani ng Gulayan,” highlighted Filipino craftsmanship and the connection between fashion and the land. Designers incorporated natural dyes, indigenous materials, recycled textiles, and handcrafted techniques while paying tribute to farmers, artisans, and communities.
On the second day, “Sigla ng Prutasan” brought the colorful and lively spirit of the Filipino marketplace to the runway. Collections drew from childhood memories, local markets, sustainability, family, and everyday Filipino experiences, transforming familiar materials and stories into contemporary fashion.
PUP Fashion Week 2026
The finale, “Laman ng Merkado,” focused on the people behind the marketplace and the stories that shape Filipino fashion. Twelve designers presented collections inspired by resilience, identity, heritage, community, and contemporary Filipino life, using innovative designs and craftsmanship to reinterpret familiar experiences.
More than a fashion showcase, Merkado provided a platform for emerging Filipino designers to express their creativity while celebrating the culture and communities that inspire their work. The event also recognized the designers, models, production team, partners, faculty members, and volunteers whose collective efforts brought the three-day celebration to life.
PUP Fashion Week 2026
Through its three chapters, PUP Fashion Week 2026 demonstrated how fashion can preserve Filipino stories while giving them a fresh and contemporary expression.