MAKATI CITY — Renowned Filipino designer Dennis Lustico has opened his second pop-up space at Power Plant Mall in Rockwell, Makati, unveiling a holiday capsule collection that places Philippine craftsmanship at the center of a contemporary, trans-seasonal wardrobe. Running throughout October 2026 at the R2 Level, the “Filipino Luxe” presentation offers a fresh take on local luxury, built around piña fabric and the intricate handwork of Filipino artisans. It is a collection that resists the pull of fleeting trends, choosing instead to celebrate materials and techniques that have defined Filipino elegance for generations.
A Capsule Wardrobe Rooted in Piña Craftsmanship
At the heart of the collection is piña, the delicate pineapple-fiber textile that once served as the epitome of luxury in nineteenth-century Philippines. Lustico uses the fabric across roughly 90 percent of the collection, exploring its potential through stripes, embroidery, weaving, beading, dyeing, and distressing. Local artisans from Aklan wove, tucked, and dyed piña and binakol entirely by hand, creating materials made specifically for the designer. He pairs these heritage fabrics with textiles gathered from his travels, including French and Italian lace, Indian linen, Thai silk, and Japanese cotton, allowing piña to converse with global materials without losing its distinct identity. The collection introduces fifteen new styles alongside returning best-sellers such as the Callado Kimona and the Maria Overlay. Standout pieces include a corset piña callado designed to showcase the fabric’s qualities and a light blue piña barong constructed into a shirt dress. Camisas de Chino, shift dresses, and tops carry beadwork that narrates local life through motifs like malunggay and kalabasa leaves, betel nuts, and the ornate windows of ancestral homes. Silhouettes remain easy and precisely tailored, with details such as silk blousons cinched by wooden rings wrapped in matching thread wound by hand.
A Palette of Restraint and Reflection
Departing from the typical festive colors of the holiday season, Lustico chose a subdued palette of natural tones, mauve, light blue, denim blue, and ash gray. The muted range keeps attention on texture and suits pieces designed to be worn year-round, whether in Manila or abroad. Lustico explains that the decision reflects the current global mood, noting that he felt drawn to colors that are calm and subdued amid the many things happening in the world today. This restraint extends to the collection’s overall design philosophy, which balances trend awareness with a commitment to timeless style.
A Living Definition of Filipino Luxury
For Lustico, “Filipino Luxe” is more than an aesthetic descriptor. It is a way of living that encompasses not just what we wear but how we build industries and infrastructure that allow Filipino creativity to thrive. He envisions a Philippines with a well-established textile industry that commands global respect and a manufacturing sector whose exports contribute meaningfully to the economy. The pop-up at Power Plant Mall is a practical expression of that vision, a space where heritage craft meets contemporary design and where local materials are given room to travel, evolve, and exist comfortably in a modern wardrobe.
