This fashion mentorship in Milan could reshape how the world sees Filipino design

Tatler Asia

a day ago

The FashionPhilippines initiative brings a new kind of visibility to Filipino design talent as a new mentorship programme plants itself in the heart of Milan
The inaugural FashionPhilippines Milan Mentorship Program 2025 arrives with intention. A collaboration between the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), through the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), the Philippine Fashion Coalition (PFC) and Tetta Ortiz-Matera of LIT Fashion Consultancy, the initiative was launched with a clear brief: to educate, expose and embolden Filipino designers and brands.
From September 23 to 25, Milan's Fondazione Sozzani will house the work of ten Filipino designers and fashion brands. The space is significant. Founded in 2016 by Carla Sozzani, the foundation has become a cultural institution, known for staging exhibitions that blur the boundaries between art, photography and fashion. It has hosted the likes of Maison Martin Margiela, Zandra Rhodes and Yayoi Kusama. And this year, it sits under the shadow of Milan Fashion Week spring/summer 2026.
It's not an accident.
'We are not only showcasing our country's immense design talent,' DTI Secretary Cris Roque said in the programme's official statement, 'but also broadening economic opportunities for our designers and local brands in the highly competitive international market.'
Above Inside Fondazione Sozzani (Photo: courtesy of FashionPhilippines)
Above Another view of Fondazione Sozzani (Photo: courtesy of FashionPhilippines)
The programme isn't just about visibility. Before their Milan debut, the designers are scheduled to undergo intensive, one-on-one mentorship from a panel of industry leaders, including experts in creative direction, education, buying, marketing and sales showroom management. The mentors will conduct portfolio reviews and collection previews, offering feedback rooted in lived experience, not textbook theory.
Among them is Niccolò Pasqualetti, founder of his eponymous brand and one of the most compelling names in fashion's new guard. A finalist in last year's LVMH Prize, Pasqualetti has built a reputation for work that balances structure and softness, form and feeling. Their silhouettes resist categorisation. Their fabrics speak in whispers. Their practice, above all, is rooted in empathy.
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Above Designer Niccolò Pasqualetti (Photo: Gioconda & August)
'I think what I always like is to give space and have moments of connection,' Pasqualetti said in an interview with Tatler . 'In fashion, it's so important to celebrate talent—not just in the Philippines but worldwide. In this case, it is a great opportunity for everyone to showcase who they are, why they're creating and what is important to them. So, by consequence, it's essential to me to be part of this moment and this important event space.'
Pasqualetti was invited to the programme by Fondazione Sozzani's Sara Sozzani Maino, the former Vogue Italia editor, now focused on mentoring and platform-building for new voices. 'We met during Covid, on Zoom,' Pasqualetti recalled. 'She was a great support from the beginning. That's how we met.' It is fitting that a mentorship forged during one of fashion's most uncertain periods now comes full circle in Milan, with Pasqualetti offering the same generosity they once received.
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Above Sara Sozzani Maino (Photo: courtesy of FashionPhilippines)
However, they are careful to distinguish mentoring from dictating. 'Everybody should express who they are authentically,' they said. 'You can always feel that it's honest work when it comes from a place of honesty. My work is based around self-expression and freedom, around a sense of the materials, construction, and who the person is. That reflects who I am and what I want to say. In this context—or any context—that's what matters.'
When asked how to avoid imposing their aesthetic on mentees, Pasqualetti was clear: 'Story is significant. It's important to have an open mind and try to understand who the other people are. I find it enriching to see someone very different from my vision. It always comes from the same place of trying to express something, and being coherent and cohesive with what you want to say. You don't impose because everyone is an individual, and we are all different. That needs to be celebrated.'
They believe sustainability, beyond the marketing buzzwords, has everything to do with creative longevity. 'Creating something that lasts for a long time is already sustainable,' Pasqualetti said. 'By doing that, you avoid the fact that people keep buying because pieces aren't well-made, exciting or wearable. The purpose is to create something with purpose.'
Above A piece from his spring-summer 2025 collection (Photo: courtesy of FashionPhilippines)
Above A piece from his spring-summer 2025 collection (Photo: courtesy of FashionPhilippines)
As for Filipino fashion, Pasqualetti enters with no preconceptions, only anticipation. 'I don't have preconceived ideas, which makes it exciting. I want to learn more about how people from the Philippines see fashion and how they see themselves within fashion. Each country has its heritage. I'm excited to see where the Philippines stands—what it stands for.'
For Pasqualetti, the mentorship programme's success won't be measured in sales or press coverage. 'I think success is about openness. It's also about sharing.' They also add that mentorship is not about critique for its own sake. 'It's not about teaching. It's about understanding what designers are trying to say, and then ensuring that it's translated into their work. Because it's not just about talking— it's about manifesting it somehow. And that's sometimes the most difficult part.'
Pasqualetti won't be strict, exactly. But they will be honest. 'You learn more with honesty than flattery. At least with an opinion, you can decide whether or not to follow it.'
The word— openness —lingers.
'Innovation thrives where creativity meets collaboration,' Sozzani Maino said. 'Together with CITEM and the talented Filipino designers, we aim to shape a vision for education that fuses craft with purpose—transforming ideas into meaningful, lasting experiences.'
It's a sentiment echoed by CITEM's executive director, Leah Pulido-Ocampo, who sees the initiative as a bridge to long-term growth. 'This is about fostering awareness of the Filipino aesthetic worthy of global recognition.'
And as PFC chairperson Carissa Cruz-Evangelista said, 'By engaging with top-tier industry professionals and participating in major fashion events, our designers gain exposure, credibility and access to opportunities that can define their careers.'
At Fondazione Sozzani this September, Filipino designers will be included—and will be heard. And for Pasqualetti, who once stood in their shoes, the task now is to listen back.