18/08/2026
REVISITING THE STORIES: Philippine Folklore in Modern Fashion
Philippine folklore is filled with characters who have lived in our collective imagination for generations—Maria Makiling, Maria Cacao, the diwata, the tikbalang, the kapre, the sirena, the aswang, the bakunawa, and countless spirits and mythical beings rooted in our mountains, forests, seas, and ancestral communities.
But perhaps these stories should not remain only in old books, paintings, festivals, or traditional costumes.
What if we could wear them again?
This is the spirit behind HANDURAWAN: Heritage and History, a three-day celebration of Filipino identity, heritage, craftsmanship, and contemporary creativity, happening August 29–31, 2026 at Level 2, The Mall at NUSTAR Cebu—culminating on August 31, the finale of Buwan ng Wika.
Artistically directed by Dexter Alazas, HANDURAWAN seeks to create more than a fashion presentation. It is an invitation to remember—to handuraw—the stories, traditions, materials, people, and cultural memories that have shaped who we are as Filipinos.
And what better way to close Buwan ng Wika than by bringing our stories out of the pages of history and into the language of fashion?
Modern fashion gives us an opportunity to revisit Philippine mythology—not by simply reproducing traditional costumes, but by interpreting the spirit of these characters through contemporary design. The flowing silhouette of a diwata can become an ethereal evening gown. Maria Cacao can inspire rich chocolate, earth and gold palettes, sculptural textures, and the organic beauty of Hablon handwoven textiles. The bakunawa can emerge through serpentine lines, metallic embellishments, and dramatic silhouettes, while the tikbalang can inspire powerful tailoring, textured fabrics, and an almost otherworldly sense of movement.
At the heart of this reinterpretation is our Philippine handwoven heritage, particularly Hablon—a textile tradition that carries the hands, stories, and artistry of Filipino weavers. Its checks, stripes, colors, textures, and unmistakable character can move beyond the traditional and become part of contemporary couture, resort wear, accessories, and wearable art.
Even the familiar baro, saya, tapis, patadyong, Hablon and other indigenous weaves, embroidery, beadwork, and traditional craft techniques can be reimagined—not as costume replicas, but as the foundation for fashion that feels distinctly Filipino, contemporary, and deeply connected to place.
There is something beautiful about allowing our folklore to evolve.
A myth is not frozen in time. Neither should its fashion be.
Through modern silhouettes, sustainable materials, Hablon and indigenous weaves, recycled textiles, handcraft, upcycling, sculptural accessories, and experimental styling, we can create a new visual language for the characters we grew up hearing about. The mysterious becomes wearable. The ancestral becomes contemporary. The mythical becomes part of our everyday cultural expression.
This is not about dressing up as a mythical creature.
It is about asking what that creature means to us today.
What does Maria Makiling represent in an era of environmental consciousness? What can Maria Cacao tell us about Cebu’s relationship with cacao, land, craftsmanship, and heritage? How might the diwata speak to our connection with nature? Can the bakunawa become a symbol of transformation rather than simply a creature of legend?
And perhaps, through Hablon, we can tell another story—the story of the Filipino weaver whose hands transform threads into identity. Every woven line becomes a connection between past and present; every pattern becomes a quiet reminder that heritage can be lived, worn, reinvented, and carried forward.
This is why HANDURAWAN arrives at the close of Buwan ng Wika.
Because language is not only spoken.
It is woven. It is crafted. It is painted. It is designed. It is worn.
Our culture speaks through the clothes we create, the textiles we preserve, the stories we retell, and the traditions we choose to carry into the future.
As HANDURAWAN reaches its finale on August 31, Philippine folklore becomes our creative vocabulary—where legends meet Hablon, where ancestral stories meet contemporary silhouettes, and where heritage finds a new expression through the imagination of today’s Filipino artists and designers.
Perhaps this is where fashion meets folklore—not to preserve the past exactly as it was, but to give it another life.
From the stories of our ancestors to the runways and creative spaces of today, Philippine mythology can become a rich source of silhouette, color, texture, craftsmanship, indigenous weaving, sustainability, storytelling, and identity.
We do not simply wear the costume of the legend.
We reinterpret the legend—and weave it into who we are today.
HANDURAWAN: Heritage and History
August 29–31, 2026 | Level 2, The Mall at NUSTAR Cebu
Finale of Buwan ng Wika | August 31, 2026
Artistic Direction: Dexter Alazas
An invitation to remember our stories, honor our makers, celebrate our heritage, and imagine what Filipino culture can become when the past is woven into the future.
