Baguio Top Designer Maila Alog Drops Her 2024 New Release in Creative Collaboration

In her continuing exploration of art meeting art, Maila Alog took a bold yet intimate step—commissioning visual artist Jherwin Libatique to hand-paint directly on her inabel creations.

The collaboration was never about embellishment alone. It was about trusting another artist to speak on fabric.

Inabel, known for its strength, rhythm, and cultural grounding, already carries stories woven by hand. By inviting Jherwin to paint on these pieces, Maila allowed the textile to evolve—from woven heritage into a living canvas. Each brushstroke responded to the texture of the cloth, respecting its patterns while adding a new layer of expression shaped by emotion, movement, and instinct.

There were no templates. No repetitions. No guarantees of symmetry.

Every painted inabel piece became singular—unrepeatable by design. Jherwin approached the fabric not as a surface to dominate, but as a collaborator in itself. The weave guided the flow of paint; the imperfections dictated the rhythm. What emerged were garments that felt alive—where pigment and thread conversed rather than competed.

For Maila, commissioning Jherwin was an act of deep respect. It meant opening her work to transformation, allowing another creative voice to leave its mark without dilution or control. In a creative landscape often driven by replication and market demand, this choice reaffirmed her belief that true collaboration requires surrender.

The result was not a collection measured by quantity, but by presence. Each piece carried two signatures—one woven, one painted—yet belonged fully to neither artist alone. It stood as shared ground, where fashion and visual art met without hierarchy.

These hand-painted inabel pieces were officially unveiled under the menswear segment of NYUTRAL: Langit, Lumot Lupa, a 2024 collection by Maila Alog rooted in balance, earthbound narratives, and restrained strength. Presented through Pairs’ OOTD, the showcase emphasized harmony—not only between garments and bodies, but between art forms themselves.

The collection was brought to life by the following pairs of models: Mariane Lura and Anthony Lura, Andrea and Alvin, Alex and Warren, and Heidi and Ernst, whose presence reinforced the collection’s theme of shared grounding and quiet strength.

Runway direction was led by Genia and Mariane, while the looks were completed by the artistry of HMUA Maycie Glam, Niel Cruz, Loisa, and Janah Arkias, with styling by Janice Magbanua.

More than a design experiment, the collaboration reflects a larger philosophy that Maila continues to practice: that art does not need to be confined to its discipline, and that when artists trust one another, the outcome transcends medium.

In these hand-painted inabel pieces, cloth became canvas, and canvas became movement—proof that when creators meet as equals, art expands rather than divides.

This same philosophy is what places M.A. Woven Designs among Baguio’s top design houses. Rooted in Baguio City, the Philippines’ first Creative City under the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, the brand stands not on trend or volume, but on integrity of process.

M.A. Woven Designs does not produce fashion in isolation. Each garment is relational—born from dialogue with weavers, artists, performers, and culture bearers. In a city where creativity thrives through community, the brand holds its place by choosing slow creation, ethical exchange, and meaningful collaboration.

This is why it resonates not just as fashion, but as cultural work.And this is why M.A. Woven Designs stands—quietly yet firmly—among Baguio’s top designs.