A family affair

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CLOTHES from Rajo Laurel’s “Child’s Play” collection.

STEPPING into the Rajo store’s third branch at SM Aura in Bonifacio Global City on April 11 felt like accidentally walking into a Laurel family reunion. Nephews and aunts walked around with hotdogs, and old friends walked in and out with shopping bags and drinks.

This is Rajo Laurel’s third store, which he opened last Saturday, debuting his Spring/Summer 2026 collection as well, called “Child’s Play.”

Inspired by the home of designer Nina Tolstrup, bold prints abounded. Gingham and seersucker set the tone for summer — particularly popular is a shirtdress in a blue or green, in that checked pattern reminiscent of picnic tablecloths. On men, there are the same fabrics, combined with enviably sheer fabric. Plaids and checks are seen throughout (but also wilder patterns for shift dresses).

More serious and sexy are black or red slip dresses under sheer shifts in the same colors (but you can buy both and play).

“There’s so much doom and gloom and negativity in this world at the moment. I just wanted to remember that when we were children, we were fearless, happy; we didn’t really care about the world,” said the designer in an interview with BusinessWorld. “You find solace and peace and happiness.”

The closeness within (their) family was also reflected both in the collection and the opening: his sisters were involved in the collection (more on that later), while his nephew DJed, and his nieces helped with styling. “Every step of the way, my family’s with me,” he told BusinessWorld.

A lot of Mr. Laurel’s outfits in the collection were free-sized: we’ve seen some younger designers come out with collections that reflect clothes only for the youngest and thinnest of us. “We have to be inclusive. Not everybody is Kate Moss,” he said. On his sisters’ involvement with the collection, he said, “My sisters are real women. With hips, with stomachs, and arms.” He added, “I’m a big person myself.”

“It resonates with a lot of people because you can’t make fashion so exclusive,” he said of sizing. “You need to discuss that, and you need to address that.”

It’s this same inclusivity that’s driving him to open this third store, offering ready-to-wear (the first two branches are in Rockwell and Shangri-La Plaza). “It’s a matter of just playing my cards and putting my design language and vocabulary in different spaces. I think it’s very important that we create fashion that is speaking to the times. When was the last time you actually had something made? That window is getting smaller and smaller, but you need things that are special every day,” he said. “The space of ready-to-wear is so wide for Filipino designers. There are very little of us doing it. I think it’s something that we should consider.”

Speaking about the different discipline required between his usual bespoke work and the ready-to-wear collection, he said, “Bespoke is more internal. You’re speaking to one person; one client’

“Here (with ready-to-wear), you’re able to create a language wherein a lot of times, you can actually leave it to the person to interpret,” he said. “What I love about ready-to-wear is that when I design something, when it lands on another person, it could be a completely different thing.”

On another note, last January, Mr. Laurel represented the Philippines in a partnership with Thailand’s Creative Economy Agency (CEA) established with the Philippine Creative Industries Development Council (PCIDC), under the Department of Trade and Industry. This resulted in a fashion presentation, and an opportunity to expand abroad. He updated us: “We’re actually getting more momentum there, primarily because we’re now talking to investors.

“That’s going to be quite something to discuss in the fourth quarter of this year. I’m not at liberty yet to say — baka ma-udlot (we might jinx it).” — Joseph L. Garcia