Lives are lived within the folds of clothing. More than fabric stitched together, garments carry traces of identity, tradition, and history.
Through fashion, cultures, craftsmanship, and design intersect to connect people across borders and generations. The Philippines and Japan offer a compelling example of this exchange.
This intersection takes center stage in Threads of Dreams, the latest exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila. Running until July 26 in Taguig City, it celebrates 70 years of bilateral relations between the two countries.
The exhibition features garments that fuse Filipino and Japanese influences. Familiar cultural symbols — from the terno, barong, and malong to the kimono and ceramic traditions — are reimagined into new expressions of heritage.
Three Filipino designers present works that explore the interplay of form, craftsmanship, and identity. The showcase positions fashion as a space where the two cultures meet, evolve, and endure.
Jaggy Glarino’s IMIN collection examines how migration shaped cultural exchange, particularly through Japanese communities in Mindanao. The title translates to “migration” and revisits Mintal, Davao, once known as Little Tokyo.
The collection reassembles fragments of the past into contemporary silhouettes. Vintage Japanese obi textiles combine with T’boli-inspired shell ornamentation and walis-inspired headpieces.
Other pieces draw from Mindanaoan basketry, Japanese straw rain capes, and traditional armor. Garments were built from handwoven, sculpted panels that transform familiar materials into striking forms.
Joey Samson’s Ang Pagniniig collection constructs a dialogue between two women of the late 19th century. The sitter in Juan Luna’s Una Bulaqueña meets O-Sei-San, linked to José Rizal during his time in Japan.
Though separated by geography, both figures shared moments of colonial transition and cultural awakening. Samson expresses this through dress shirts, silk tops, barongs, and tapis made from vintage Japanese fabrics.
Accessories include hats, pins, and embellishments sourced from flea markets and family heirlooms. Footwear was produced in Marikina, reflecting dedication to local craftsmanship.
Rhett Eala’s Inherited Stories collection examines how personal items carry memory across generations. His mother’s archive of vintage kimonos and photographs informed the work.
The collection merges kimono and Filipiniana with forms inspired by Japanese pottery and origami. Corset tops, bubble skirts, and cage dresses appear alongside handwoven piña and Boro embroidery.
Across all three collections, fabrics of culture are stitched into a shared tapestry. The exhibition shows that heritage is not only inherited but continually woven anew.
Threads of Dreams is open to the public until July 26. Hours are Tuesdays to Fridays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
