Cover Bench brought three visionary designers from its design competition to present their first international collections
Bench brought three visionary designers from its design competition to present their first international collections
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Bench spotlighted three emerging designers from its design competition, presenting their international debut collections in Tokyo
At Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo S/S 2026, the Bench Design Awards marked its international return with a confident showing. On September 2 at Shibuya Hikarie Hall 2, the largest venue of the week, three Filipino designers—Stephany Verano (STEPHVERANO), Peter Gagula (Peach.Garde) and Karl Nadales (nadalē)—unveiled debut collections that explored national identity through a contemporary lens.
All three were recent winners of the Bench Design Awards. They were selected by an international jury that included Ben Chan, chairman and CEO of Suyen Corporation; Kaoru Imajo, director of the Japan Fashion Week Organization; Japanese designer Mihara Yasuhiro of Maison Miharayasuhiro; Filipino fashion masters Dennis Lustico and Joey Samson and fashion curator Michael Salientes.
The Bench Design Awards has long been a launchpad for emerging voices. 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 reaffirmed the growing presence and creative strength of Philippine fashion.
The show was directed by Shige Kaneko, whose productions have graced the runways of Tokyo and Paris.
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Above Peach.Garde, Ben Chan, Stephany Verano and Karl Nadales
Peach.Garde, Ben Chan, Stephany Verano and Karl Nadales
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Verano, an alumna of ESMOD Paris, opened with CAST under her label STEPHVERANO. Her collection mined the textured histories of coastal Europe: hand-quilted surfaces, knotted seams, muted maritime tones—garments that seemed dredged from the sea yet reimagined for couture.
Above The CAST collection (Photo: courtesy of Bench)
Above The CAST collection (Photo: courtesy of Bench)
The CAST collection (Photo: courtesy of Bench)
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From Iloilo, Gagula—working under the label Peach.Garde—showed Sea-scape. Once a nursing student, Gagula shifted course to fashion, finding inspiration in spontaneous coastal escapes. Deconstructed tailoring, jellyfish motifs and coral-inspired forms reinterpreted marine life into streetwear that was precise, sustainable and quietly subversive.
Above The Sea-scape collection (Photo: courtesy of Bench)
Above The Sea-scape collection (Photo: courtesy of Bench)
The Sea-scape collection (Photo: courtesy of Bench)
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Karl Nadales, designing under nadalē, brought the most personal vision. His collection A-17 traced the emotional topography of migration. Sepia, stone and rust dominated a palette that spoke of memory and erosion, while silhouettes fused archival familiarity with modern abstraction. Each piece read like a page torn from a diary, layered with longing and identity.
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Above The A-17 collection (Photo: courtesy of Bench)
Above The A-17 collection (Photo: courtesy of Bench)
The A-17 collection (Photo: courtesy of Bench)
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Above Stephany Verano, Peach.Garde, Karl Nadales
Stephany Verano, Peach.Garde, Karl Nadales
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This was the fifth collaboration between Bench and the Japan Fashion Week Organization. Earlier editions introduced Filipino winners from 2017 to 2019, followed in 2024 by a milestone showcase of the Philippine terno in Tokyo. The 2025 return carried that legacy forward, affirming the awards as a site where heritage and experimentation converge.
Livestreamed across the globe, the show extended its reach beyond the hall, presenting audiences with a view of Philippine fashion in flux—rooted, inventive and resolutely now.
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Angela Nicole Regis Guiral is the assistant digital editor of Tatler Philippines. She studied journalism and has since written features that look closely at how culture, lifestyle and social impact converge, while occasionally wandering into the worlds of style and travel.
