Ivarluski x Bitagcol: A collab wrapped for the holidays
The Ivarluski Aseron × JoAnn Bitagcol holiday pop-up at Power Plant Mall in Makati City opened on Dec. 1 with the kind of energy I’ve learned to recognize through years of covering Christmas retail: early shoppers with purposeful strides, women slipping in and out of cleverly cut tops, the soft panic of someone realizing the piece they’re eyeing is the last one in their size. It’s a familiar December hum—equal parts festivity and urgency—and this collaboration fits right into that mood, offering the kind of thoughtful fashion that begs to be gifted for oneself or others, worn, and kept long after the parols are packed away.
Aseron and Bitagcol didn’t attempt a full-blown joint collection. Instead, they worked on a couple of collaborative pieces, fusing their signatures—her graphic photography prints and his banig-weave detailing—in ways that feel intuitive, almost inevitable. The rest of the pop-up is a conversation between their individual collections, each one distinct but surprisingly complementary, the way well-paired voices sometimes are.
Aseron took on this project—labeled Ivarluski—like a quiet dare to himself. His universe is made-to-order—controlled, meticulous, constructed for one wearer at a time. Ready-to-wear is a different rhythm, but he warms to it. “It’s outside my comfort zone, but I’m having fun expressing my creativity,” he says with a chuckle.
He began with a graphic mesh fabric intended years back for a men’s collection that never fully materialized. Instead of letting it languish, he reworked it into a tight, assured assortment: layered skirts with a whisper of sheerness, crisply built wispy vests, and even a shift dress named after his mother, Leonor.
He also revives his jigsaw motif from his Red Charity Gala collection, now lightened into accents or turned into a youthful little bralette. It’s a smart reintroduction—familiar to those who follow his work, yet easy to adopt even for a younger shopper encountering him for the first time.
Bitagcol, meanwhile, brought a lineup of her classic silhouettes: the one-size tops, the multiway barrel-slash-square pants, and reversible staples that her loyalists return for again and again.
She rolled out new colors and updated versions, too—sheer and beaded alampay, printed wool scarves, sporty kimona tops, multifunction garments that flip or tie into different shapes (so people get value for their money, she says), a TernoCon Palaro collection, and a pop reinterpretation of her vintage barong series; as well as her latest “invention,” a clever slip-on terno butterfly sleeve set that can dress up even the most basic tee. Her reversible camisa pieces, as always, were first to disappear. One stylish shopper clutched one to her chest and declared, “Gift to myself.” In December, this is practically a refrain.
Together, these pieces form a pop-up that rewards deliberate holiday shopping. Bitagcol’s prints make for instantly personal gifts—elegant and wearable across seasons. Aseron’s pieces are meant for dressing up but not only for that; the mesh vest works as easily with denim as with evening trousers. And their co-created pieces, merging print and structure, are exactly the kind of limited-run finds that justify a detour between errands. The best part: both designers plan to add to their respective collections in the coming weeks—a slow, steady unfurling rather than a one-and-done drop. But don’t idle; pieces move quickly.
What makes the collaboration satisfying is how naturally their aesthetics meet. Bitagcol tells stories through images; Aseron does it through construction. Neither overshadows the other. The result is a small but potent collection that feels festive without being season-bound, collectible without being difficult, thoughtful without overthinking itself.
The pop-up runs until February—long after the last Noche Buena leftovers have vanished—but anyone who has navigated holiday shopping at Power Plant Mall knows the most interesting finds rarely wait. The shoppers, clearly, have decided not to.
