Fashion X Business: CARL JAN CRUZ
Filipino identity and attention to detail
Fashion X Business is a new monthly column that looks at how Southeast Asian fashion businesses are built to last.
This month, we speak to Carl Jan Cruz about his eponymous brand, on the occasion of its 10th anniversary. He details experimentations with material and form, from the Pambahay Pique collection, put together using specially designed fine jersey pique fabric to the International Interbarangay 2023 collection, which reimagined yesteryear Filipiniana styles. He also reflects on the importance of collaboration within the brand, and with other creatives.
From multi-wear garments to thoughtful story-telling on its digital platforms, CARL JAN CRUZ effectively communicates its vision of Filipino identity with keen attention to detail.
Tenth Year Lookbook, Series I, 2025. Photo by Renzo Navarro.
Congratulations on the ten-year milestone, CJ! What are your feelings and thoughts about it?
I feel hopeful and learned.
Let’s go back to the beginning. How did the business come about, and when would you say it officially launched?
In 2014, I graduated with a degree in BA (Hons) Fashion Design Technology: Menswear and Foundation from London College of Fashion. At the time, I presented my graduate collection which was conceptualised and produced in the Philippines. Building from this collection, CARL JAN CRUZ was then established in 2015.
Pambahay Pique in Shine, 2025. Photo by Renzo Navarro.
Tenth Year Lookbook, Series II, 2025. Photo by Renzo Navarro.
How would you articulate the unique selling point of your business?
The unique selling point of the brand is creating garments that are rooted in the universal Filipino experience, and intentionally crafted in-house by local artisans and a homegrown design team. Each piece is produced in either limited quantities or as unique one-off pieces, allowing the brand to maintain a keen attention to detail in all pieces made. Additionally, fabrics are also sourced in small batches, many of which are further developed in-house through various fabric manipulation techniques, as well as specialised washing and dyeing processes. The brand also carries a custom jersey pique fabric that is designed internally and sourced locally.
At its core, the brand serves as a visual autobiography of my Filipino identity and personal journey, while offering a shared space for others to feel a sense of connection and community through the vision each piece carries.
“At its core, the brand serves as a visual autobiography of my Filipino identity and personal journey, while offering a shared space for others to feel a sense of connection and community through the vision each piece carries.”
How have you balanced catering to your “home” audience, and one that is geographically broader, whether in neighboring countries, or farther abroad? Or if this is not a main concern, please elaborate on how you cater to your target audience.
Our garments are inherently Filipino. In many ways, our collections reflect an intimate take on the mundane experiences and sensibilities of living life in the Philippines. In our Pambahay Pique collection, garments are made up of specially designed fine jersey pique fabric due to the tropical climate in Manila and our surrounding areas. In our International Interbarangay 2023 collection, the garments remind viewers of Filipiniana styles from the past, while also inviting a sense of newness.
In many ways, our garments are also multi-wear. They encourage the wearer to style the piece in their own unique way: inside-out, front-to-back, tied, pinned, low-waisted, high-waisted. It is through this diversity, and our storytelling, that we are able to create something that resonates beyond our Filipino audience.
Bruce in the first Jan Shell Jacket, 2014. Photo by Renzo Navarro.
Archived Richael Random Beaded Corset, 2018. Photo by Renzo Navarro.
Carl Jan Cruz Vol. II at UNIVERS, 2025. Photo by Renzo Navarro.
How has the way you create collections evolved, if at all, over the years? What is the creative process? It would be good to refer to specific collections to demonstrate the evolution.
In the beginning, many designs and silhouettes were conceptualised because it was something I would personally wear. It started off as a visual autobiography: a cataloguing of silhouettes and styles from my personal history. For example, a pair of cuffed jeans I would wear as a child were reimagined and reworked into the Free Cuff Jeans.
Over time, the brand has grown, and with that, so has the team. CARL JAN CRUZ has become the culmination of our collective experiences as a design house and brand. Since our inception, we have continually strived to refine both our processes and products. Our approach used to be quite reactive, driven by the limitations of the Western fashion calendar and retail demands. We now prioritise nurturing our creative process, taking a proactive stance in determining collection-making timelines, depth of thought, and level of detail until we achieve satisfaction with our work. This shift represents a significant evolution in our philosophy and practice, emphasising quality, creativity, and deliberate craftsmanship.
For example, this September, we launched CARL JAN CRUZ Vol. II at Univers. Compared to the first collaborative collection in 2022, this second volume was more intentional in blending the sensibilities from the team— silhouettes that specific team members would wear, in colours that interest them, and lengths and hemlines that fit different bodies. With almost 80 distinct styles, Vol. II not only represents strides in our design process, but in our production as well.
Expressing a refined take on texture and form, Vol. II takes on familiar silhouettes and introduces a series of explorations in textile development.
International Interbarangay Collection, 2023. Anna wears the Mariposa Bustle Gown and Skirt, made out of abaca silk. Photo by Renzo Navarro.
Carl Jan Cruz Atelier at Silverlens Gallery during the International Interbarangay 2023 Collection Presentation, 2024. Photo by Renzo Navarro.
What has made you say yes (or no) to collaborations over the years, and how have collaborative projects contributed to the business?
Over the years, collaborations have been dependent on the shared vision. Collaborative projects have been greatly impactful to our brand and the way in which we share our story. For example, for our International Interbarangay 2023 Collection, there was great focus on making it a multimedia collaboration, be it through photo, video, or sound. We realised that expressing the clothes as more than garments was important. For this collection, we brought together King Puentespina for audio direction, Renzo Navarro for photography, Judd Figuerres for video direction, Silverlens art gallery for the physical space, and Toyo Eatery for the F&B to create an immersive and sensory experience. There was an urge to create a space for us to reinforce to each other the value of our work. It is a translation of our relationship with each other as Filipino creatives and hopefully, a deepening sense of worth and beauty.
Collaborations also often stem from our inherent approach to tackling projects from multiple perspectives. Given that our creative process draws inspiration from diverse media sources like imagery, music, fashion, food, art and culture, it feels natural to encapsulate our work in cohesive multimedia formats that could stand as a reference in its own right. We enjoy doing the unexpected.
This dynamic informs our continued desire to foster a creative discourse through our work and through collaboration with other creatives. We want to ensure that the process of garment-making is an inclusive experience rather than a one-sided endeavor.
“We want to ensure that the process of garment-making is an inclusive experience rather than a one-sided endeavor.”
Carl Jan Cruz Flagship Store at 45 Bayani Road, Taguig. Photo by Renzo Navarro.
How do you work on the positioning and reach of the brand? Is there a marketing formula that is tried and tested?
The brand approaches positioning and reach with a focus on cultural authenticity and storytelling, and doesn’t rely on a strict marketing formula. It relies on organic growth through intentional connections built within our community. Its positioning is achieved by consistently communicating our vision and values across our own channels like Instagram and our website. Through these channels, we are able to share our design processes and personal narratives that allow us to build a direct relationship with our community and have a collective reflection on the evolving Filipino experiences that inform our work.
Furthermore, in terms of reach, we collaborate with select local and international platforms and publications. We also work closely with creatives from within our community in order to fully realise our body of work through a multidisciplinary lens. An example of this is our International Interbarangay 2023 collection.
How do you measure the success of your business? The indicators can be quantitative or qualitative, or a mix of both.
Apart from the financials, I would also say it is how the departments and teams working for the brand are equipped and up-skilled.
What is the single biggest challenge of running the business? Conversely, what are the pleasures of running it?
Being detached from the general industry we choose to be part of, and that works as a challenge and also as a pleasure.
Carl Jan Cruz Flagship Store at 45 Bayani Road, Taguig. Photo by Renzo Navarro.
3D Team shot in 45 Bayani. Photo by Renzo Navarro.
Tell us more about the key members of the team that makes the business work as a whole.
The Carl Jan Cruz brand is made up of several highly collaborative and interdependent teams. We have the Finance, 3D Design, Operations, Production, and Brand (Sales and Marketing) teams. The core is the 3D Design team, where ideas and designs are realised. This team sets the creative tone for the rest of the teams to build upon. Each team plays a distinct yet connected role. They are aligning on shared goals for the brand’s growth, managing logistics, upholding quality and craftsmanship in production, and visually communicating the brand’s identity and values.
These teams were thoughtfully built to bring together independent thinkers with different tastes, perspectives, and lived experiences. These differences and similarities inform the collections, visuals, and experiences the brand offers. Through these exchanges of ideas, the brand is able to create pieces that are honest and uniquely Filipino.
How are you planning to develop the business?
To stick to our own sensibilities and reflect that more outwardly as a body of work through concept and business.
Archive Reissue, 2025. Illustrations by CARL JAN CRUZ Team.
Where can our readers learn more about your business, its products and services?
We have a newly launched website, where we share journal entries on our processes, techniques, and ongoing projects, as well as offer our products for purchase online. We also have two Instagram pages: @carljancruz for the brand's main narrative, and @45bayani for the brand’s visual archive focused on styling the pieces. We also utilise both of these Instagram pages to connect and converse with our community.
Follow CARL JAN CRUZ on Instagram at @carljancruz, or shop their collection at carljancruz.com.