Pushing the reins of fashion to the limit, Sinulid, the annual culminating fashion show of the Fashion Design and Merchandising students of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, has produced yet another crop of top-tier talents, all eager to display their flair and prowess to the world.
Founded in 2016 by the knitwear and colored piña queen Lulu Tan-Gan and local textile advocate Christine Bennet —both former chairpersons of the college’s program — the event has since gained prominence in the community as the way to go for anyone in search for the newest and freshest fashion creators.
With the theme Threaded Experience, this year’s showcase presented beauty in the unfamiliar and unconventional, as reflected through the personal journeys of each budding professional.
Here are some of our favorites from 2025, along with authored descriptions of their collections:
Meaning the power to imagine or to reminisce, this collection merges vibrant oil paintings of scenes from the legend of Mount Mayon with the intricate art of pabalat, which is traditional wrapping using papercut technique from Bulacan.
This collection draws inspiration from the concept of “crab mentality,” depicting how people hinder others’ progress due to fear of others’ success surpassing their own. It delves into the toxicity of this behavior driven by competition, jealousy, and selfishness. The designs mirror intricate human relationships, emphasizing challenges posed by negative attitudes, and spotlighting human competitiveness. The theme centers on chaos, competition, and contrast, encapsulating the complexities of interpersonal dynamics.
This collection shows the sector where bamboo is still widely used and that is in construction. Bamboo has wide uses, and that applies for construction. Bamboo used as scaffolding is a common sight in provinces, thus, making it an important part to construction. For this collection, bamboo scaffolding sets up the stage for the main character of this collection to walk on, with other elements found in the construction site for the look of this collection.
A congratulatory gift. An apology. A symbol of love. These are reasons that one may have for gifting another with flowers. Hence, I am giving myself a bouquet of flowers. Embedded in the collection are little messages in the form of concepts and designs that I would like my future self to know so that years from now, I would be able to look back at the collection and see what my twenty-one-year-old self was trying to tell me; I am worthy, and I will spend my lifetime in fashion proving this to be true. To the me of tomorrow, this is for you. love, h
This thesis collection is about the reinterpretation and reintroduction of the Manila Carnival Queen. While this concept is deeply rooted in opulence and royalty, this thesis employs and seeks beauty from the ordinary; ordinary, or unconventional items that aren’t commonly utilized and transform them into something extraordinary. Creating a juxtaposition of the grandiosity of the Manila Carnival Queen to the usage of ordinary and unconventional materials, demonstrating how two ideas can collide and yet achieve that spectacle, glamour, and royal look, and extending it even further by injecting elements of the Baroque era — establishing a Filipina monarch.
Interlude collection shows flexibility and expression to each piece of the menswear collection, it conveys numerous aspects of the brand’s attitude and represents self-expression without censorship. Through fashion and art, creative disciplines reinforce the idea of diversity and individuality through a lens free of hypocrisy. It is a heavy combination of ambivalence, attraction, mystery, and romance.
Green-blooded or dugong berde is an offensive label used to describe homosexual individuals, reflecting deeper societal prejudices. This derogatory term symbolizes the marginalization and dehumanization of queer and trans people, who have faced generational trauma from harassment and discrimination. Trans women, in particular, often experience severe trauma when trying to access public bathrooms, highlighting their vulnerability. The ongoing struggle for acceptance and safety underscores the need for societal openness and acknowledgment of basic human rights. The collection aims to shed light on the oppression and neglect faced by minorities, especially the denial of trans women’s rights to use women’s bathrooms.
The world is cruel and also achingly beautiful. A crow, in its quest for survival, met its untimely end. Inspired by the tragic narrative of Aesop’s Fable The Crow and the Snake, DHARMA unravels the truth of humanity’s struggle with suffering and desire, laying bare the raw, unrelenting inherent pain of existence.
The display seeks to bring Philippine cosplay outside its usual bounds by creating a hybrid between fashion and cosplay inspired by Filipino stories. In a sense, it is wearable fan art to express appreciation for beloved characters in local media. The collection takes inspiration from the world of Outerspace Filipino Workers by Keith Sicat. It re-envisions the characters outside their usual attire while maintaining distinct elements from the character’s background, design, and environment.
Inspired by the imagination of children transforming an everyday towel into different silhouettes, such as wigs, dresses and mermaid tails. The collection will show the stages of sexual awakening from confusion and exploration to self-discovery and acceptance. It will also feature challenges and obstacles that queer individuals face, resulting in them suppressing their gender identity.
This collection is dedicated to my mother. This collection will tell her story. Every look represents the different stages of her life. It is a series of trickled-up versions of the clothes she wears when she’s experiencing these hardships. Incorporated in these garments are significant materials that have been part of her routine, many of which are as fragile as her but also make her stronger.
FOMOLUTION is a capsule collection that discusses the journey of one’s evolution: from being isolated and being in that dark state of mind, to overcoming the fear of missing out by embracing that struggle in self-reflection.
Tabi-tabi po is a collection that highlights the lesser-known mythological creatures in the media-based arts in the Philippines such as Talagbusao, Ani-ani, and Tahamaling, alongside the infamous Engkanto, and Albularyo. Redefining the villainous portrayal of the entities into something truer to their nature, perpetuating their existence to the younger generation.
This is an ode to transsexuality through the lens of body horror and fashion. Showcasing the inherent divinity and grace that comes along with the body modifications transsexuals go through, the collection explores constricting silhouettes, flesh-like textiles, and leather that degrades as the body we were all born with does.
The brand’s clothing collection is inspired by the Cebuano word Balud or wave, which symbolizes gender-fluidity metaphorically. This concept explicates the dynamic nature of preferences, whereby people’s preferences and gender identity can undergo changes similar to the changing and moving of waves. As the designer herself is a proud Cebuana, she has integrated elements of their cultural heritage into this collection.
¡Enhorabuena, Sinulid 2025!