“I’ve always believed that in order to move forward, one must be able to look back. And this is my way of looking back,” says Filipino designer Rajo Laurel.
At the Fashion Week Asia Gala at Marriott Grand Ballroom, Laurel was self-referential as he was provocative with his retrospective collection, Archivo. “This is actually an essay to review what I’ve done in the last three decades. Primarily for the very first time, I am inspired by my own archives, by my own body of work, by the last 33 years of being a fashion designer,” shares Laurel in an exclusive interview with Allure Philippines.
His wealth of experience has yielded a rich tapestry of inimitable ideas that have shaped his creative identity. And as he reexamines his canon from its defining elements, materials, and even muses, his collection was not just an exercise in nostalgia or an attempt to preserve what came before. It was a chance to see his iconic designs anew, allowing the past to inform what comes next. “It’s almost like piecing together all the different narratives that I’ve been trying to tell,” he adds.
Laurel also shares how beauty plays a role in his creative process. “The hair and makeup look is really about paring down.” With makeup artist Gery Penaso leading the makeup artists of Mac Cosmetics, the runway beauty looks turn back to classic beauty codes that have stood the test of time, including velvety red lips, and luminous skin. “We really wanted to celebrate the natural beauty of all of these beautiful young men and women,” he says. “Without sacrificing the true essence of what is beautiful in my eyes, which is actually about beautiful skin, a healthy glow, and an almost fresh outlook to the look,” he continues.
The hair, created with David’s Salon, takes on a similar understated approach. “Essentially they’re just low ponytails or tight buns,” says Laurel. The less-is-more approach allow the clothes to command attention. Whether it’s the shellacked, twisted low buns and ponytails or textured crops with soft volume, each hairstyle draws on classic styling techniques, with clean finishes and light texture, keeping the looks versatile.
As Laurel took a bow at the end of the runway to a roaring applause, he left a powerful reminder that the things we return to, like the passionate red lip or glowing skin, both of which have become beloved classics, can reveal something new when seen through a different lens.
Because sometimes, the beauty of revisiting the past lies in discovering how much more can still be reimagined. In the same way how Rajo Laurel has proved that a legacy is not measured by how faithfully it is preserved, but by how much it continues to inspire.
Ruby red lip
Paul Paredes II
Paul Paredes II
Paul Paredes II
A red lip has long been a beloved beauty staple, but its appeal rests on how it can complete a look. As seen on the show, the seemingly rubbed velvety lip brings a striking color to the runway that suits any skin tone from morenas to fair skin tones. To achieve the soft matte effect on the lip, pick a red lip liner to define the lips and swipe on your favorite red lipstick. Blot on the lips to achieve a blurred, soft finish.
Shellacked hair
Paul Paredes II
Paul Paredes II
Paul Paredes II
Paul Paredes II
Hair neatly swept away from the face and shellacked for a polished finish lets the natural features of the face stand out. As seen on the show, the hair tied into sleek, twisted low buns or low ponytail creates a highly polished look. Think of these nondescript hairstyles next time you head out the door when you want your maximalist makeup or clothes to take focus.
Barely-there glam
Paul Paredes II
Paul Paredes II
Paul Paredes II
Paul Paredes II
Paul Paredes II
Sometimes, the standout beauty looks are the ones that leave room for the natural features of the face to speak for themselves. As seen on the show, neatly groomed eyebrows, and soft-matte skin become clean canvases, finished off with a true nude lip color. There’s no bold eye looks, no excessive glitter, and no medley of hues. Recreate this pared-back finish by focusing on the skin prep, then go light handed with your base, and yes, you can just swipe on a single shade of warm eyeshadow, and you’re good to go.
Textured, short crops
Paul Paredes II
Paul Paredes II
Paul Paredes II
Paul Paredes II
Short hair gets plenty of personality through texture. With closely cropped lengths and piecey definition on top, the looks at Archivo make a case for shorter cuts as a refreshing change. To achieve the look, work with your hair’s natural texture using a lightweight styling product, scrunching it for a more undone finish or combing it into place for a cleaner, more polished effect. If you have been thinking of a new haircut, consider this your cue to embrace chopping your strands to a shorter style.
Art direction by Mikiyo Ricamora. Photography by Paul Paredes II.
Frequently Asked Questions
The look used a red lip liner to define the shape, topped with red lipstick, then blotted for a soft, blurred matte finish—a shade Rajo Laurel designed to suit morena and fair skin tones alike.
Archivo marks Rajo Laurel’s 33rd year as a designer and draws, for the first time, directly from his own archive of past work to inform new designs rather than simply revisit old ones.
The runway styling used sleek, twisted low buns and low ponytails swept away from the face for a polished finish, created with David’s Salon to let maximalist clothing take visual focus.
The barely-there glam relied on groomed eyebrows, soft-matte skin prep, a light-handed base, and a single shade of warm eyeshadow, finished with a true nude lip for a clean, natural result.
David’s Salon created the hairstyling for Archivo, favoring low ponytails, tight buns, and textured short crops—an understated approach paired with Mac Cosmetics’ makeup to spotlight the clothes, not compete with them.
