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A Love Letter to Our Identity

I used to think pride was something you had to show through big gestures: flags, parades, bold statements. But for much of my life, I didn’t feel proud at all. I was told not to speak Tagalog, to lighten my skin, to hide features that didn’t fit the standard of beauty. Little by little, I stepped away from the parts of me that felt most Filipino.

For years, I lived in between worlds. Too American in one space, too Filipino in another, and never fully at home.

Things shifted when I began to understand my parents’ story. They didn’t leave the Philippines so we would forget. They left so we could remember in new ways. That realization became another spark for Kilig Ko. It turned fashion into something more than clothing. It became a space for healing, identity, and love.

The Filipino Pride Collection is a reflection of that journey. It honors our heritage, our parents’ sacrifices, and the many Filipinos and Filipino Americans who continue to celebrate who they are in their own way. It carries both the everyday and the extraordinary, put together through design.

Why This Collection is Close to What I Create For

A Peek Into the Pieces

More Than Clothing

The Filipino Pride Collection is about presence. It holds space for heritage in everyday life, it creates bridges between generations, and it celebrates identity without condition. Every piece is a reminder that our stories are worth wearing.