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I used to think of trips as breaks from real life. You pack a suitcase, turn on vacation mode, and let yourself be a little bit of a tourist. For my New York trip last January, it felt different. Stepping into the city, I could feel that I was not just there as me. I was there as the person behind Kilig Ko, walking through a city that so many people call a fashion capital, wondering what it would teach me about my own brand.I had my outfits planned. Cardigan, new Bicol sweater, jersey, all packed with the intention of shooting content. I wanted to wear Kilig Ko through the streets, to see what it looked like against subway tiles and skyscrapers and that very specific New York gray. I saw a post once about how different cities shape your creative perspective- "go to Paris for this, go to LA for this, go to New York for this." This was my first trip where I told myself, you are here to learn for the brand.
When Your Content Plans Get Buried Under A Jacket
I knew it was going to rain, and I felt ready for that. What I did not plan for was the snow and that freezing in between of rain and slush and wind that just cuts through every layer. Every day I ended up in the same thick jacket, because it was the only way that I could still feel my fingers.
The problem is that the jacket was never supposed to be the main character. Underneath it were all the outfits I had thought about, all the Kilig Ko pieces I wanted to showcase. On camera though, it mostly looked like I was wearing the exact same thing every day. People might see the clips and think I packed one outfit. In reality, the clothes underneath kept changing. The weather just had other plans.
It became this funny little lesson in how fragile content plans can be. You can moodboard, you can pack, you can picture yourself walking across crosswalks in your jersey, and then the weather simply says no. What I took from that was not that planning is pointless, but that I need a different kind of planning for cold cities. I need to think about layers that can be part of the look, not just something I peel off shivering for thirty seconds while someone takes a photo.
Somewhere in between trying to stay warm and still feel like myself, I realized how much I still have to learn about dressing for actual seasons.
Learning To Layer And Finding My Style Again
New York has a particular style energy. There is this mix of East Coast upbringings and different cultures, and you can see it in how people layer. Coats, collars, scarves, pants that stack just right over boots. It made my post-grad capsule closet plan feel a little exposed.
A while back, I tried to be that person with the neutral capsule closet. Beige, black, white, simple shapes that all go together. At the same time, Kilig Ko lives in my closet too. Statement sweaters, graphics, pieces that say something about being Filipino and soft and proud. I ended up somewhere in between. Not fully capsule, not fully statement, and definitely not fully New York.
Walking around the city, I saw exactly what I was missing. The right collars for sweaters. Pants that work with big jackets. Scarves that are part of the outfit, not just an afterthought. I even had a little emergency scarf moment where I grabbed one from a souvenir shop just to survive. At first, I wore it in the most basic way. Then my friend Jason sent me a video showing different ways New Yorkers tie their scarves, and after that I could not unsee it. Suddenly, even a simple scarf felt like a styling opportunity.
It made me look at my own closet differently. I like to tell myself I am a basic dresser, that I do not really need to get fully ready if I am not putting on makeup or contacts. But this trip reminded me that getting dressed is a kind of self-care. It is a privilege to be able to choose from pieces in my closet. It is a way of telling myself I am worth the effort today.
That mindset shift connects back to why Kilig Ko exists for me. It became a way to practice gratitude for my body, my culture, my presence in a room. Even when my layering skills are still catching up.
Remembering The Quirky Creative Girl I Was
Being in New York also brought up a different kind of nostalgia. On the surface, I was here to shoot OOTDs, visit textile shows, maybe check out an embroidery store like Abode and look at customization for weddings and apparel. Underneath all of that though, the city woke up a creative part of me that I had quietly pushed to the side.
When I was younger, I used to spend hours on Photoshop editing photos just for fun. Fire bending, water effects, a tiny tiger sitting on my finger. I remember one edit where the tiger ended up on my actual shirt. It was silly and over the top, and I loved it. That was my first version of making things, experimenting, not caring if anyone thought it was too much.
Over time I got shy about that side of me. I stopped doing the weird edits. I kept things simpler and quieter. Even with Kilig Ko, which is literally built on feelings and softness and Filipino pride, I sometimes hold back the quirky ideas because I worry they might be too out there.
New York did not erase that shyness, but it did allow me to revisit it. Being surrounded by so much art, fashion, and energy made me want to bring back those playful edits again, just because they make me happy. It reminded me that Kilig Ko does not have to be serious all the time. The brand can be tender and a little weird. In fact, that might be exactly where it feels the most like me.
Growing As A Brand Traveler
This trip was also my first real experience of traveling with a brand lens. Yes, I was here to see Broadway shows and explore the city, but I was also here to learn. I paid attention to how people dressed on the subway, how small boutiques displayed their clothes, how textile shows organized their fabrics. It felt like the city itself was a giant moodboard.
Compared to LA, New York made me feel more independent. I could hop on the subway without needing a car, just move through the city and let the streets teach me things. It showed me what it might look like to take Kilig Ko on the road more often. Not just to sell or to shoot, but to research, to absorb, to remember that my personal growth and the brand’s growth are tied together.
I will be the first to admit that I was not fully ready for this trip. The weather won, the content is not exactly what I imagined, and I am still not the type to vlog confidently in public. I recorded most of my thoughts after the fact, in quieter spaces. But I am glad I tried. Every clip, every shivery outfit photo, every little note about layering and style will make the next trip better.
More than anything, New York reminded me that Kilig Ko is not separate from who I am becoming. The brand grows when I give myself grace, when I let myself learn in public, when I say yes to new cities even if my scarf game is struggling. This was my first time seeing a place through Kilig Ko eyes... And it will not be the last.
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