A fashion conference and marketplace ‘by designers, for designers’
There is no denying the Filipino’s creativity, craftsmanship and resourcefulness in fashion. But how do we elevate it to the global stage, harness its economic strength, and make it our soft power?
PHx Fashion Conference has been filling in this gap since 2019, starting out with how to get young fashion labels ready for the Japanese market.
“The creativity is definitely there, without question. We won’t even tackle design because Filipinos are so creative,” says co-founder Trickie Lopa, a staunch supporter of art that’s wearable and everything in between.
“We realized what we need is solid advice or insights on how they should set up their business so they operate at a global standard,” she reflects. “Whoever your market is, it would be great if from the beginning, your mindset is already operating at a standard that’s agile; that whoever is interested in your product or brand, it’s easy to adapt.”
For Esme Palaganas, co-founder and designer behind contemporary fashion brand Basic Movement, it was about creating something she wish existed. Conceptualized with Bagasao Studio’s Seph Bagasao, Palaganas explains, “There is interest internationally. We designers didn’t know how to attack it. We had to drop certain opportunities because we didn’t know how to go about wholesale, retail, and going into the international market.”
While its 2020 edition was about fashion communities coming together and recalibrating for the “new normal,” its 2021 and 2022 editions honed in on the importance of mentorship and communicating your brand. 2023 is all about taking theory into practice.
“It is the first of its kind as a designer-led initiative,” Lopa says. “The whole thing is by designers for designers. We’re coming from the perspective of people who need it the most, ambitious in what they want to do and need that kind of support. We believe in bringing in knowledgeable people better than us so we can better ourselves as well.”
This year’s edition features a fresh batch of panelists and speakers including Fil-Brit fashion designer Norman René De Vera, currently the design and image director for French legacy brand AZ Factory, and Philippe Terrien and Giselle Go of TFC Press on Nov. 17 to 19.
Topics include how to go into the ready-to-wear route — including wholesale, retail, and building a team (aware that most Filipino designers typically operate as a one-man team).
“Norman says he’s so excited to come home, give back, and share his stories and experience. He wants to reconnect with his Filipino roots,” Lopa shares. He will be in conversation with stylist and Vogue Philippines fashion director Pam Quinones.
There will also be the highly anticipated portfolio review both by TFC Press and De Vera, a key learning point after the whole conference where designers get one-on-one feedback. Lopa shares that it’s something De Vera already does with fashion students every week in Paris.
Participants of the conference must submit their intent and complete some requirements to join the portfolio review. 2019 participant Carla Zhang of the brand Le Ngok went through the portfolio review. “The insight she got during that first portfolio review, she’s still applying it in her practice right now,” Palaganas shares.
Dan Matutina will discuss brand identity and intellectual property, while a panel features global Filipino brands Carl Jan Cruz and 13 Lucky Monkey. GCash will also discuss how to apply FinTech to small business.
The conference will be preceded by the launch of PHx Station in Greenbelt 5 on Oct. 20. The dynamic market will feature members of the PHX community built over the years: Alexie Nethercott, Aire, Apara, Bagasáo, HaMu, Idyllic Summers, Jerome Lorico, Jill Lao, Jude Macasinag, Kelvin Morales, Le Ngok, Liliana Manahan, Neil Felipp, Nicolo, Novel, Randolf, Renz Reyes, and more.
“They are the most exciting Filipino fashion brands today,” Lopa says. Running until Jan. 15, 2024, eight designers will present all-new collections every month and will be joined by one top student from fashion schools for real-life market experience.
“We believe in theory in practice, not just on paper. We want to apply it in the market,” says Palaganas. “The conference feeds the station, the station feeds the conference.”
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Purchase regular tickets or a day pass at www.phxfashion.org and avail of the early bird rate only until today, Oct. 15. Discounts apply for students.
