Guide · July 2026
The Modern Filipiniana Wedding Dress
Terno butterfly sleeves, baro't saya references, piña fabric - the vocabulary, the four ways brides wear it, and how a Filipiniana gown is commissioned in the US.
ReadFrom the Studio
Journal
Notes on custom design, fabric, and the collections behind the house.
Guide · July 2026
Redesigning an Heirloom: A Wedding Dress, a Terno, a Barong
Five ways heritage cloth becomes part of a new custom gown - and the honest constraints of fragile fiber, fixed yardage, and irreversible cuts.
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Guide · July 2026
Custom Debut Gowns for the Filipino 18th Birthday
The grand entrance, the cotillion waltz, 18 roses - what the night asks of the gown, and how families commission one custom in the US.
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Guide · July 2026
The Filipino Debut: Traditions, Program, and What They Mean
18 roses, 18 candles, 18 treasures, and the cotillion de honor - the meaning behind each tradition and how the program flows.
ReadCollection Story · July 2026
VIVIRÁ: Cultural Clothing That Will Live
The story of Bea Cruz's award-winning 2020 collection - the baro't saya and barong reimagined in piña silk, made in Negros, shown at Fashion Week San Diego.
ReadCollection Story · July 2026
Bright Young Things: Dressing the Return of Joy
Twenty 1920s-inspired looks for 2021 - two kilos of hand-sewn gold seed beads, sequined tulle, and the inaugural Ashley Nell Tipton Special Award.
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Exhibition Story · July 2026
Two Paintings, Two Garments: Art & Beauty Behind Fashion
Translating realist paintings into couture with Sotheby's New York and the Art Renewal Center - upcycled chainmail armor, 72 hours of lace, and a first-place award.
ReadFabric · July 2026
Piña: The Filipino Fiber in Modern Bridal
What piña is, how pineapple-leaf fiber becomes hand-loomed cloth, why it is considered a sustainable textile, and where it belongs in a custom gown.
ReadFabric · July 2026
Types of Piña: Liniwan, Piña-Seda, and How to Judge Quality
The two fiber grades, pure piña versus piña-seda, the look-alikes sold as piña, and the four signs of genuine handwoven cloth.
ReadGuide · July 2026
How Far in Advance Should You Order a Custom Wedding Dress?
Most custom gowns take six to twelve months from first conversation to final fitting. When to start, what shapes the timeline, and what to do on a shorter runway.
ReadGuide · July 2026
Custom, Made-to-Measure, or Off-the-Rack?
The honest differences in fit, design ownership, timeline, and cost logic - and who each option actually suits.
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