MANILA -- The Manila Fashion Festival has collaborated with Japan's fabric trading company STYLEM for an international iteration of the event.

PH MODE x TYO takes center stage twice a year in Tokyo during Rakuten Fashion Week, featuring the fusion of Japan's quality fabrics and the Philippines' indigenous materials.

For its second walk on Rakuten Fashion Week last September 1, Filipino fashion label .ARCHIVES championed the traditional "binakol" fabric with creations by Ellis Co.

"After our recently concluded showcase in Manila, we're excited to be back in Tokyo for PH Mode SS24. This season, we wanted the focal point to be the integration of indigenous fabric in .ARCHIVES silhouettes. With 'binakol' as our main fabric of choice, we felt that the fabric's twisting, optical illusion-like patterns would be an interesting element in our pieces," .ARCHIVES creative director Aya Reika Mayani said in a statement.

Together with four other Filipino designers, Co unveiled a total of nine looks highlighting the binakol, a woven fabric from northern Luzon.

"The process of building the collection was definitely a creative journey that involved not only taking inspiration from our Filipino roots, but also looking into how we can continuously innovate and forward our art as designers into each concept," Co said.

The runway show was followed by trade exhibit in Daikanyama, Tokyo, where .ARCHIVES' pieces were put on display alongside works from fellow Filipinos, as well as Japanese and international designers.