kill joy studios

Some memories stay with us in fragments: a song playing in the background, a familiar street in Manila, a piece of clothing we remember seeing, a film that shaped the way we understood growing up. For KILL JOY STUDIOS, these fragments become the foundation of KALYE TREZ MIXTAPE, a collection built from memory, identity, and the places that shape us.

Presented at Manila Fashion Week 2026, KALYE TREZ MIXTAPE brings together a personal archive of references. Memories of growing up in Manila meet the designer’s grandfather’s connection to the Air Force, the sound of 80s and 90s music, coming-of-age films, and the experience of being a queer Filipino designer. Rather than treating these influences as separate references, the collection approaches them like a mixtape, blending familiar sounds and memories into something distinctly personal.

Every collection begins with a story. What personal experience, emotion, or cultural reference became the starting point for the collection you're presenting at Manila Fashion Week?

KALYE TREZ MIXTAPE started from a collection of personal references—my memories of growing up in Manila, my grandfather’s connection to the Air Force, 80s and 90s music,

coming-of-age films, and my experience as a queer Filipino designer. I wanted to treat these

references almost like a mixtape, mixing things that feel nostalgic, personal, and familiar into

something that feels distinctly mine.

Your work contributes to the evolving narrative of Filipino fashion. How do you define your creative identity today, and how has it transformed since you first started designing?

I see my creative identity as someone who takes ordinary Filipino references and reinterprets them through a personal and contemporary lens. At this point, I’m also trying to understand and establish the DNA of KILL JOY STUDIOS—what makes the brand feel like itself, and how I can continuously translate that into clothing, imagery, and experiences.

Fashion is more than clothing—it's a reflection of culture, community, and individuality. What conversation or feeling do you hope your collection sparks once it leaves the runway?

I hope the collection makes people think about the things that shape their own identity—the clothes they grew up seeing, the music they listened to, or the places that feel familiar to them. More than anything, I want it to feel like a celebration of individuality and the freedom to reinterpret where we come from.

Can you share a moment from the creation process that challenged or surprised you? Whether it was a material, silhouette, collaboration, or unexpected breakthrough, we'd love to hear the story behind it.

One of the biggest challenges has been balancing all of the references I wanted to include without making the collection feel like a literal costume or nostalgia piece. As a small brand, we’re also still in the process of building the collection, so a big part of the challenge has been balancing the demands of making it while continuing to run and develop the rest of the brand.

Looking beyond this season, what do you hope your work contributes to the future of Philippine fashion, and what legacy do you want your brand to leave for the next generation of creatives?

I hope my work contributes to a Philippine fashion landscape where designers feel free to draw from their own experiences and culture without feeling the need to make them overly literal. I want KILL JOY STUDIOS to remain a work in progress—a journal that documents how I see the world, while hopefully encouraging other creatives to build from their own experiences and create something that is unapologetically theirs.