Cover This Carl Jan Cruz and Univers collaboration, titled ‘Volume II’, explores Filipino style
This Carl Jan Cruz and Univers collaboration, titled ‘Volume II’, explores Filipino style
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Exploring a contemporary Filipino identity and finding beauty in the unexpected, designer Carl Jan Cruz returns with Univers for ‘Volume II’—a collaboration that continues their dialogue on modern Filipino dressing
In the world of contemporary Filipino design, few collaborations feel as organic as the one between Carl Jan Cruz and Univers. Three years after their first dialogue, they’ve returned with Volume II, a capsule collection that feels less like a new release and more like a continuation of a story. It is proof that a wardrobe isn’t just a set of clothes, but a living, breathing archive of our lives.
This collaboration is rooted in a simple but powerful idea: defining what a modern, Filipino wardrobe truly means. Cruz and his team have spent a decade refining this vision, distilling it into garments that feel both personal and universally understood.
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Above A look at ‘Volume II’ (Photo: Univers)
Above A look at ‘Volume II’ (Photo: Univers)
A look at ‘Volume II’ (Photo: Univers)
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The clothes themselves are a celebration of play and precision. Familiar silhouettes are made new: balloon trousers with clever pleats, double-bubble skirts and trapeze tent dresses that cinch at the front before releasing into a billowy back. These are garments that invite you to play—reversible blouses, overshirts with rounded collars and pieces designed to be layered, tied or left undone.
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Univers and Carl Jan Cruz collaborates for ‘Volume II’ (Photo: Univers)
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This collection, in Cruz’s own words, is about defining “what a wardrobe means when it is both contemporary and Filipino.” Textures form its language, with tactility at the forefront: Italian cotton and Japanese denim sit alongside the fluidity of silk linen and sueded silk. Cruz’s vernacular of craft—eskosesa (plaids), gusot (crumpled) and tupi (pleated)—infuses each piece with a sense of history and movement.
Above Behind the scenes (Photo: Univers)
Above Behind the scenes (Photo: Univers)
Behind the scenes (Photo: Univers)
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Rather than a spectacle, it was a salo-salo, a communal gathering inspired by two Filipino traditions: patikim (the first taste) and the gathering itself. Guests stepped into a reimagined version of the Carl Jan Cruz space in Univers at One Rockwell, where Mannequins, racks and work tables blurred the line between workshop and retail space.
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Credits
Images: courtesy of Univers
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Joan—“Anj” to some—first stumbled into the literary world through Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower. From then on, she knew she wanted to tell stories—for everyone to read or perhaps simply for her older self to find again someday.
In high school, her love for writing intertwined with her passion for media and entertainment, drawing her to the glossy pages of magazines and online features about her favourite British boyband and Canadian singer. By college, she had found her rhythm in article writing and never stopped chasing stories worth sharing.
As Social Media Officer for Tatler Philippines, she shapes stories that capture moments in entertainment, culture and society. For leads or inquiries, feel free to reach her via joan.chan@tatlerasia.com or @joanntrc on Instagram.
