Some of the country&rsquo;s most talented menswear designers have a conversation about the current state of men&rsquo;s fashion, the challenges they face, and what it takes to do menswear.

PHOTOGRAPHY Belg Belgica CREATIVE DIRECTION Markarvin

From the sharp lines of tailored suits to the innovative designs that push the boundaries of men&rsquo;s fashion, Rajo Laurel, Kelvin Morales, Joseph Bagasao of Bagas&aacute;o, Abraham Guardian of HA.M&Uuml;, Nina Amoncio of Antonina and Renz Reyes have no doubt left a mark in the industry. But these designers are not just shaping the future of menswear &ndash; they&rsquo;re redefining it.
In a candid conversation, the designers explore the evolving landscape of men&rsquo;s fashion in the Philippines, reflect on the challenges they&rsquo;ve faced along the way and then some. Discover their insights as they share their journey and vision for the future of menswear.

How did each of you first become interested in menswear?
Renz Reyes (RR): I started as a womenswear designer, but I like interacting with clients. I&rsquo;ve encountered men who want to wear the [same] clothes, so I saw that there&rsquo;s a market for me; not just being a womenswear designer but translating the codes that are already in my work and putting it in a different context, which is menswear.
Nina Amoncio (NA): My clothes are more on the genderfluid side. I feel the same with Renz. The clients that I work with don&rsquo;t require me, but I want to make clothes that make them feel very empowered. And so, power suits, very bespoke, structured pieces would be closely knit to menswear.
In what ways has menswear evolved over the last decade in the Philippines and where do you see it heading?
RR: In the past few years, menswear has been experimental. It&rsquo;s not always the suit and tie, the strict tailoring. Men have embraced their more feminine or creative side, and the recent efforts of the designers trying to push a different aesthetic to menswear has allowed everyone to become more creative. We&rsquo;ve had big strides in the past few years in the menswear market.
NA: I feel like menswear is not as restricted as before. I agree with what Renz said. We&rsquo;re at a time when a lot of young designers, even young brands, are coming up with [experimental] pieces. Men are becoming more experimental.
What are the biggest challenges you&rsquo;ve faced in the menswear industry and how did you overcome them?
RR: I&rsquo;ve only recently started incorporating menswear into my collections, so that&rsquo;s a challenge. Since I&rsquo;m [primarily] a womenswear designer, there&rsquo;s a different way of construction when it comes to menswear. Another big challenge is that menswear tends to be relegated to the safe side or more commercial aspect that there are set shapes. Besides the construction part is just how to keep on innovating.
NA: Restriction to design. For womenswear, you can explore a lot of things. There&rsquo;s a gray area between being safe and doing extravagant things with menswear. It&rsquo;s also hard to reach the menswear market as men tend to go for brands that they know.
What advice would you give to emerging designers who want to break into menswear?
RR: Learn the basics before breaking the rules. You need to know the technicalities of menswear, a well-constructed garment and the right proportions. You can&rsquo;t just be playing around and making crazy designs but don&rsquo;t have the technicalities to back it up. It might look good with those embellishments, but maybe it&rsquo;s ill-fitting.
NA: You have to study as menswear is super technical. When I started learning menswear design in university, there was a different subject for menswear and tailoring. It&rsquo;s a study and constant practice. I can say that I&rsquo;m not a master of tailoring, but as a designer, when I see a good suit, I can tell.

PRODUCTION Paolo Chua GROOMING Lilian Yeung PRODUCTION DESIGN Ronald Rene Godinez Jr. PHOTOGRAPHER'S ASSISTANT Sarah El-Ali LOCATION First United Building

Tailoring Perspectives: Antonina and Renz Reyes

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