Fashion Week Asia marked the end of its first edition at the Marriott Grand Ballroom with a showcase of ARCHIVO by Rajo Laurel and a gathering of industry friends.
After five days of designers presenting fashion from across Asia, Fashion WeekFashion WeekA recurring event, held in cities such as Paris, Milan, New York, and London, where designers present upcoming collections to buyers, editors, and celebrities. Fashion weeks set the direction ofGo to Fashion Week Glossary Asia 2026 brought its first edition to a close with a gala at the Marriott Grand Ballroom on October 24, 2026. The evening gathered the people who make the fashion industry tick, from designers and their collaborators to friends, family, and the occasional admirer dressed in a piece by the person of the hour: Rajo Laurel, whose ARCHIVO collection spanning 33 years of his life’s work served as the event’s beating heart.
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Cocktails Before The Show
Before the show, guests congregated in the foyer for cocktails by IQOS and food and beverages courtesy of Newport World Resorts, the event’s venue partner. Among the attendees were friends and peers of Rajo Laurel, many wearing creations by the Filipino designer himself. It was an appropriate dress code for a night that would put his work at center stage.
Rajo Laurel Takes The Stage
Laurel served as Fashion WeekFashion WeekA recurring event, held in cities such as Paris, Milan, New York, and London, where designers present upcoming collections to buyers, editors, and celebrities. Fashion weeks set the direction ofGo to Fashion Week Glossary Asia’s featured designer, with his presentation ARCHIVO celebrating his 33 years in fashion. Before the runway show, Apples Aberin, Fashion Week Asia co-founder and co-chair and Vice President for Lifestyle Media Brands at One MEGA Group Inc., delivered the opening remarks. A longtime friend of Laurel, Aberin spoke of knowing the designer before the fashion shows, accolades, and career milestones that would follow.
“Rajo Laurel is someone very close to my heart. I knew Rajo long before the fashion shows, the accolades and the remarkable career he has built,” she shared. Aberin also acknowledged the sponsors, her AGC family, and the designers who had participated in Fashion WeekFashion WeekA recurring event, held in cities such as Paris, Milan, New York, and London, where designers present upcoming collections to buyers, editors, and celebrities. Fashion weeks set the direction ofGo to Fashion Week Glossary Asia, inviting the latter to join her onstage. The gesture brought the gathering back to the people behind the four-day showcase, whose work had helped establish Fashion Week Asia’s inaugural edition.
The Fashion Week Asia Gala Afterparty
Once the runway presentation concluded, the ballroom traded its audience for a party crowd. A DJ took over and guests made their way to the dance floor, the evening far from over. After four days of collections, introductions, and conversations about fashion, there was little reason to rush home. The galaGalaA formal, festive social event, usually with dinner, entertainment, and dress codes such as black tie, often held to raise funds for a cause or celebrate an occasion. Galas areGo to Gala Glossary offered the week a fitting finale, with its participating designers and wider community coming together for one last evening. And with that, the first edition of Fashion Week Asia ended where fashion often does its best work: in the company of people who understand that getting dressed is only part of the occasion.
Banner photography by Kieran Punay of KLIQ, Inc.
Frequently Asked Questions
The first Fashion Week Asia gala was held on October 24, 2026, at the Marriott Grand Ballroom.
Filipino designer Rajo Laurel was the featured designer at the gala, presenting his work as the main event of the evening.
Apples Aberin, co-founder and co-chair of Fashion Week Asia, Vice President for Lifestyle Media Brands at One MEGA Group Inc. and a longtime friend of Rajo Laurel, delivered the opening remarks.
The evening included cocktails by IQOS, food and beverages from Newport World Resorts, Rajo Laurel’s runway presentation, and an afterparty with a DJ and dancing.
The gala took place at the Marriott Grand Ballroom, with Newport World Resorts serving as the venue partner.
