At the recently concluded Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo S/S 2026, Bench, the leading fashion brand from the Philippines, brought three visionary designers from its design competition — Bench Design Awards —to present their first international collections at Shibuya Hikarie Hall 2, Tokyo, Japan. The global stage spotlighted three rising stars of Filipino fashion namely Steph Verano, Peach.Garde and Karl Nadales.

These visionaries had works that wove narratives of heritage, resilience and identity, offered a contemporary take on Filipino creativity.

STEPHVERANO (by Stephany Verano) is 
an alumna of ESMOD Paris, and presented “CAST,” a collection drawn from the textured histories of coastal Europe. Her collection featured hand-quilted surfaces, knotted seams and muted maritime tones — evoking sea-worn garments transformed into contemporary couture.

PEACH.GARDE (by Peter Gagula), the top winner of the prestigious national terno-making competition (TernoCon) jointly organized by the Cultural Center of the Philippines and BENCH/Suyen Corporation presented “Sea-scape.” This collection was inspired by spontaneous coastal escapes — where youth, freedom, and fluidity converge. Through deconstructed tailoring, jellyfish motifs and coral-inspired forms, the Iloilo-born designer reimagined aquatic life into refined, sustainable streetwear with soul and precision.

Nadal (by Karl Nadales) presented “A-17,” a deeply personal collection exploring the emotional topography of migration.
The fashion design scholar displayed a stunning palette of sepia, stone and rust. The designer constructed silhouettes blending archival familiarity with modern abstraction evoking memory, longing and layered identity.

The designers were handpicked by an international jury that included Ben Chan, Chairman and CEO of Suyen Corporation; Kaoru Imajo, Director of Japan Fashion Week Organization; Japanese designer Mihara Yasuhiro of Maison Miharayasuhiro; Filipino fashion masters Dennis Lustico and Joey Samson; and fashion curator Michael Salientes.

Bench Design Awards continued its mission to champion emerging Filipino talent — locally and globally. With the support of the Japan Fashion Week Organization, the Embassy of the Philippines in Japan and a distinguished panel of judges, this year’s edition affirmed the global relevance and creative depth of Philippine fashion.

This year marked the iconic brand’s fifth landmark collaboration with the Japan Fashion Week Organization — a continued commitment to elevating Filipino talent globally. Previous editions spotlighted Bench Design Awards winners from 2017 to 2019, each heralding a new wave of creative voices. In 2024, Bench made history once again by bringing the iconic Philippine terno to Tokyo, reaffirming the nation’s cultural pride and design excellence on the international runway.

The show was streamed live globally, opening the experience to audiences around the world and inviting them to witness the future of Philippine fashion.