27/05/2026
Make and Mend! Concludes Three-Episode Run with a Strong Statement on Sustainable
Fashion
The show opened with an ambitious challenge that pushed three designers to craft high-fashion runway looks using only secondhand materials purchased from local thrift stores, with limited budget of five hundred pesos.
All three designers, Aivann Romero from Ateneo de Manila University, Ian Dave Allam from Far Eastern University, and Mary Joanne Ordoรฑa from the University of Santo Tomas, entered the competition eager to prove that environmentally conscious fashion can still be innovative, expressive, and visually compelling.
For the programโs first major design challenge, the contestants were tasked with interpreting the
theme โPeak Hours: What It Takes to Get Thereโ. Evaluating their creations was a distinguished panel composed of Ms. Marion Solon, emerging fashion designer Reese Latonio, and filmmaker
and costume designer Cris Cao.
Reese Latonio recently introduced his self-titled fashion label through his graduation collection Sidlak, while Cris Cao developed his creative background through his involvement with Project 8 Projects.
Aivann presented Bound by the Rush, a design that captured the suffocating and exhausting realities of urban commuting. She won Runway Regal award.
Ian received the Haul of Fame award for assembling the most impressive collection of thrifted materials. His design honored provincial students who leave their hometowns in pursuit of opportunities in Manila.
Ultimately, Joanne emerged victorious as the competitionโs overall winner, securing both the Mending Maestro award for technical excellence and the grand title of Most Iconic Ukay Royalty. Drawing inspiration from the utilitarian style of Renan Pacson, she created a modern Filipiniana ensemble using structured denim fabrics that reflected the exhaustion and discomfort associated with long commutes.
In the end, M&M Studios delivered a powerful message that the future of fashion lies in sustainability, and that genuine style is shaped not only by appearance, but also by purpose and intention.
