In collaboration with RAF, Nicolo Perez’s new collection Untraje reimagines the traje de mestiza through a study of structure and flow.
We’ve seen many variations of the modern Filipiniana over the years, each revisiting traditional feminine dress through the lens of the present. In Untraje, designer Nicolo Perez approaches this evolving conversation from a unique direction, marking an unexpected foray into womenswear after establishing a distinct identity in menswear. Perez has long been associated with button-down shirts and denim pieces defined by varying shades of blue and recurring wave motifs. The collection, introduced at a buzzy launch at Open House World in Salcedo, and created in collaboration with local brand RAF, finds the designer’s familiar signatures shift into a new context.
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New Forms
The move into womenswear feels surprising given Perez’s inclination toward boxy, structured menswear silhouettes. Yet the collection finds its footing in the tension between flow and structure. Wave motifs appear on a seersucker shirt, recalling his ready-to-wear inkblot appliqué garments, while softer elements emerge through ribbon ties, sheer layering, and garments that move with ease. Oversized pockets introduce function into forms historically associated with restriction.
Flow Against Structure
Untraje abstracts the traje de mestiza into a modern study of structure, ease, and function. Where the original garment carried the weight of colonial restraint, Perez reinterprets its codes through restraint of another kind. Flowing lines counterpoint rigidity, transforming a symbol once tied to limitation into an exploration of power and liberation.
The collection’s restrained palette of blues, black, tan, and white reinforces this balance. Nothing feels excessive; instead, control becomes the point of departure. Flow and structure exist in constant dialogue, with softness pushing against formality without fully dissolving it.
In Untraje, restraint is reimagined. These measured design choices and quiet shifts in silhouette have allowed Perez to reframe rigidity as strength. It’s a choice that has allowed movement, ease, and modernity to emerge from within its boundaries.
Photos courtesy of Plains & Prints
