Cover Catriona Gray and Niñofranco launch their highly anticipated collaborative collection
Catriona Gray and Niñofranco launch their highly anticipated collaborative collection
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Catriona Gray enters fashion design through a collaboration with Niñofranco, highlighting Filipino textiles, craftsmanship and purpose-driven fashion
A year can pass quickly in fashion. In this case, it moved at the pace of the loom. The collaboration between Catriona Gray and Niñofranco began in May last year, shaped by an immersion in Davao del Sur and a series of conversations with artisans whose work sits at the centre of the collection. The result is a six-piece capsule grounded in Mindanao textiles, with three designs that are genderless.
“It’s my first fashion collaboration and foray into design of clothing,” Gray says. “It was definitely a bit of a learning curve.” There is continuity between Gray’s sketches and the finished pieces. “Wilson was able to guide me in terms of the details… The silhouettes themselves are really quite the same as my initial sketches,” she explains. That exchange defines the collection.
Wilson Niñofranco Limon, whose work often leans towards menswear, approached this project from a different angle. “I think the silhouettes are very Catriona,” he says. “In my brand, usually the silhouettes are more like men’s… So this time, we explore more of the women’s silhouettes. But three of our collections are genderless as we want them to be inclusive.”
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Above Catriona Gray and Niñofranco launch their highly anticipated collaborative collection
Catriona Gray and Niñofranco launch their highly anticipated collaborative collection
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Above Catriona Gray and Niñofranco launch their highly anticipated collaborative collection
Catriona Gray and Niñofranco launch their highly anticipated collaborative collection
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The materials trace a clear line to Mindanao. Embroidery by T’boli artisans in South Cotabato, beadwork by the Bagobo Tagabawa and handwoven Inaul textiles come together across the garments. Threads were sourced through the Philippine Textile Research Institute, part of a broader effort to sustain local weaving traditions.
Wearability sits at the core of the design. Limon describes the approach in practical terms. “I think that it should be something that you can wear every day without sacrificing your comfort,” he says. “We chose the proper silhouette. For example, this jacket is like a plain silhouette jacket, but we changed the design of the pocket.”
Gray frames it through the wearer’s experience. “I also understand there’s a level of intimidation sometimes. [Modern Filipiniana] may look very formal, or it can be very vibrant or different,” she says. “So, there are small hints of details through embellishment and embroidery… pieces that I hope people could envision incorporating seamlessly into their existing wardrobes.”
Above Catriona Gray and Niñofranco launch their highly anticipated collaborative collection
Above Catriona Gray and Niñofranco launch their highly anticipated collaborative collection
Catriona Gray and Niñofranco launch their highly anticipated collaborative collection
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Above Catriona Gray and Niñofranco launch their highly anticipated collaborative collection
Catriona Gray and Niñofranco launch their highly anticipated collaborative collection
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The Niñofranco collection also carries a defined purpose beyond clothing. A portion of the proceeds supports Young Focus, with Gray contributing her commission. “This collaboration is not a money-making opportunity for me,” she says. “It’s an opportunity to also put a spotlight on something I value… Not only are we supporting local artisans, but we are also supporting the education of the younger generation.”
Asked to describe the collection, Gray keeps it concise: “Intentional, Filipino and storytelling.” Limon offers his own view: “Contemporary, artisanal and maybe fresh.”
Between those two perspectives sits a body of work shaped by process and proximity. It begins with the hands that make the fabric and ends with pieces that can be worn with ease.
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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.
