Jor-El Espina kicks off 20th year celebration
+6 Jor-El Espina kicks off 20th year celebration
Contemporary fashion designer Jor-el Espina kicks off a series of pocket celebrations that will lead up to his milestone 20th anniversary in May 2025.
“This is something that I’ve been wanting to do for the Jor-el Espina brand,” says the designer, who hails from Iloilo.
His 20-year journey as a designer has been paved with countless pivotal moments and milestones, and it felt appropriate for him to kick off the celebrations with a private fashion preview of his pieces for ArteFino Festival 2024, happening Aug. 22 to Aug. 25.
Espina emphasizes the relevance of celebrating with the launch of his collection for ArteFino. “The artisan movement opened countless doors for me—in retail, in building a brand, creating a business and being globally competitive.”
It was in 2017 when, upon the invitation of a fellow designer, Espina first joined the artisanal trade fair. During this debut, he showcased the signature Bomberong (bomber jacket-barong Tagalog hybrid) jackets, which would later establish him as an emerging contemporary wear designer with distinct Philippine sensibilities.
Manila’s trendsetters were quick to embrace the unique point of view of Espina, who seamlessly merges contemporary design with distinctive Philippine artistry.
Before joining ArteFino, Espina was largely focused on designing bespoke pieces. Ahead of the “love local” boom, he incorporated local weaves like hablon, piña and abaca into his designs. This was in the early 2000s, when most designers were utilizing imported materials.
“I was fortunate to have access to these beautiful fabrics and talented artisans. I advocated the use of local fabrics early in my career, even if at that time it was not very popular. I would even sometimes ask artisans to create weaves for me and incorporate them into my designs.
“I still feel like I’m new to this business, and that there is so much I still need to do.”
