Filipino-British designer Prince Padilla draws on his upbringing between England and the Philippines for Novèl’s latest collection at Day 3 of Fashion Week Asia.
For English Conditions, Novèl designer and creative director Prince Padilla draws on the women who taught him how to dress and the two cultures that shaped his eye. The Filipino-British designer approaches fashion through the particulars of his upbringing, considering how each place has influenced his understanding of clothes. Representing the Philippines on Day 3 of 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, the designer turns those experiences into a personal collection that isn’t autobiographical in any literal sense.
Fresh from Fashion Asia Hong Kong 2026 a month ago, Padilla continues to experiment with proportion. Shirts swell around the body, necklines plunge, and silhouettes take up more room than expected. The clothes flirt with the avant-garde, yet remain surprisingly wearable. Their appeal comes down to construction, particularly the way Padilla cuts, folds, and shapes fabric to achieve volume without letting it overwhelm the wearer.
There’s a persistent tug-of-war between masculine and feminine dressing. Loose shirts expose the chest, while coordinated bonnets introduce a domestic reference that feels slightly out of place, in a good way. Other looks feature intricate beading, alongside pliable fabrics that seem to hold the memory of a hand pressing into clay. Somehow, with nipping, and the tucking, and the manipulating, the finished pieces refuse to feel overly rigid.
Color makes its own demands. Blindingly vivid shades bring the silhouettes into sharper focus. Exaggerated proportions keep the eye moving across each look. Padilla understands that volume alone can make a garment cumbersome, so he offsets the clothes’ scale with softer lines and a sense of movement. The result is an interesting contradiction: pieces that occupy considerable space but leave room for the body.
See the looks from Novèl’s “English Conditions” collection below.
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Photography by Excel Panlaque of KLIQ Inc.
Frequently Asked Questions
Prince Padilla is a Filipino-British fashion designer and the designer and creative director of Novèl. His work draws on his upbringing and influences from Britain and the Philippines.
English Conditions explores how Prince Padilla’s British and Filipino background and the women who shaped his understanding of style influence his approach to fashion.
The collection features exaggerated proportions, oversized shirts, plunging necklines, coordinated bonnets, beading, vivid colours, and sculptural tailoring.
Novèl presented English Conditions on Day 3 of Fashion Week Asia, representing the Philippines.
Padilla contrasts loose-fitting shirts and plunging necklines with carefully shaped silhouettes, using volume, texture, and tailoring to explore the relationship between masculine and feminine dressing.
