Maila Alog at the Filipino Fashion Designers Gala 2019 — A Milestone on the Runway

Filipino Fashion Designers Gala Season 2, November 8, 2019

Before the runway lights came on, before the music surged and models stepped into motion, METRO had already begun telling its story.

In the days leading up to November 8, 2019, Manila’s fashion community was quietly introduced to the vision behind Filipino Fashion Designers Gala (FFDG) Season 2 through a Prelude Exhibit—a curated showcase that allowed audiences to encounter the collections not as fleeting runway moments, but as concepts, textures, and ideas rooted in urban life. The exhibit served as an intentional pause: an invitation to understand the designers’ inspirations before seeing them come alive on the runway.

It was a fitting beginning for a show titled “METRO: A Prêt-à-Porter Fashion Gala.”

The Prelude: Fashion Before the Runway

The prelude exhibit set the tone for what METRO stood for—fashion shaped by movement, density, contradiction, and rhythm. Garments were viewed up close, stripped of spectacle, allowing craftsmanship and concept to speak for themselves. This early engagement reframed the gala as more than a single-night event; it became a layered experience where fashion functioned as both design and dialogue.

By the time the main event arrived, the audience was not merely anticipating a show—they were already part of its narrative.

The Night METRO Took Form

On November 8, 2019, The Boiler in Makati City—with its raw, industrial character—became the perfect setting for METRO’s full expression. Produced and presented by Casa De Moda Manila, and directed by James Paul with Allen Chen as Co-Director, FFDG Season 2 unfolded as a collective statement on contemporary Filipino fashion.

The choice of venue was deliberate. The Boiler’s exposed structure echoed the very essence of the metro: unfinished yet alive, gritty yet refined. It was a space that mirrored the lives the collections sought to represent.

Maila Alog: Interpreting the City

Among the designers who shaped the METRO narrative was Maila Alog, an Igorot Baguio-based Fashion Designer whose collection translated urban experience into wearable form. Her designs balanced structure and fluidity—pieces that felt grounded yet in motion, reflective of the modern Filipino navigating city life.

Maila’s work did not rely on excess. Instead, it leaned into restraint, intention, and quiet confidence. The collection spoke of adaptability and resilience—qualities inherent to both the city and its people. As prêt-à-porter, the pieces remained accessible, yet carried a clear design identity that marked her growing voice within the local fashion scene.

A Collective of Urban Perspectives

What made METRO compelling was not a singular aesthetic, but the collective strength of its designers, each offering a distinct interpretation of metropolitan life. The official lineup for Filipino Fashion Designers Gala Season 2 included:

James Paul, Allen Chen, Kitten Arciso, Jowie Namayan, Emman Dela Rosa, Paul Santos, Percie Oquias, Cris Cadungog, Ron Montes, Eula Sosa, Mary Jane De Jaresco, Mark Delos Santos, Maila Alog, Reymar Magbanua, Bonryan Gonzales, and Ricmar Agas.

Together, they presented a multifaceted portrait of the Filipino city—modern, expressive, complex, and evolving. The collections moved between tailored silhouettes and experimental forms, mirroring the contrasts found in everyday urban life.

Documenting a Moment

With The Fad Bureau as the Official Media Partner, METRO reached beyond the walls of The Boiler, preserving the night as part of a broader fashion discourse. More than coverage, the documentation affirmed the importance of platforms that nurture Filipino designers not just as trend participants, but as storytellers.

Why METRO Still Matters

Looking back, METRO stands as more than a fashion gala. It was a moment when Filipino designers collectively articulated what it meant to dress the city—not as imitation, but as lived experience. The inclusion of a prelude exhibit, the intentional venue choice, and the emphasis on prêt-à-porter all pointed toward a fashion movement grounded in reality rather than spectacle alone.

For Maila Alog, and for many designers who shared that runway, November 8, 2019 marked a defining chapter—one that affirmed their place within an evolving creative community and set the tone for future explorations in Filipino fashion.

METRO did not simply showcase clothes. It captured a moment in time—when the city, its people, and its designers moved as one.

Event Details (Archival Reference)

• Event: Filipino Fashion Designers Gala – Season 2

• Theme: METRO – A Prêt-à-Porter Fashion Gala

• Prelude Exhibit: Curated pre-show exhibition introducing designers’ concepts

• Date: November 8, 2019

• Venue: The Boiler, Makati City, Philippines

• Produced & Presented by: Casa De Moda Manila

• Director: James Paul

• Co-Director: Allen Chen

• Official Media Partner: The Fad Bureau