Benilde Fashion Museum

Benilde Fashion Museum Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Benilde Fashion Museum, Museum, 950 P. Ocampo Street , Malate, Manila.

The Benilde Fashion Museum preserves, studies, and exhibits Philippine fashion heritage through a growing collection of more than 1,000 garments, offering an educational resource for students, researchers, and the public.

| Thank you, Chairman Eric Zerrudo of the NCCA (National Commission of Culture and the Arts), for the warm reception t...
23/06/2026

| Thank you, Chairman Eric Zerrudo of the NCCA (National Commission of Culture and the Arts), for the warm reception to Ar Gerard Lico and me, and for the valuable suggestions for the Benilde Fashion Museum.

We appreciate and are grateful for the offer of support from your office as we move forward to establish the first museum of fashion in the country.

- Ar. Gerry Torres
Director, Benilde Fashion Museum
June 18, 2026

| An episode of the talk show “Two for the Road” hosted by Elvira Manahan and Eddie Mercado featured a segment on high...
22/06/2026

| An episode of the talk show “Two for the Road” hosted by Elvira Manahan and Eddie Mercado featured a segment on high fashion with couturiers Christian Espiritu, Ben Farrales, and Ramon Valera as guests who showed their new looks for the year 1970.

“Two for the Road” was a nightly television talk show that first aired in the late 1960s on ABS-CBN and was hosted by Elvira Manahan and Eddie Mercado. It was revived in the late 1970s on Channel 4, still with Manahan but this time with the entertainment writer Nestor Torre as co-host. It eventually transferred to GMA 7 where it ran until Manahan’s untimely death in 1986.

The photo shows, from L-R: Eddie Mercado, Christian Espiritu, Elvira Manahan, Ben Farrales, and National Artist Ramon Valera.

Elvira Manahan’s gowns by Ramon Valera form part of the collection of the Benilde Fashion Museum, donated in 2026 by the Manahan family through her daughter-in-law, Tats Rajante Manahan. The black gown in the photo was part of the 2017 Benilde exhibit, "Valera and the Modern," and was featured on the poster of the said event, as seen in the second image. The show was produced by the Center for Campus Art and curated by its Director, Ar Gerry Torres, presently the head of the Benilde Fashion Museum.

Image source: The first photo is from the archives of Ben Farrales, donated to the Benilde Fashion Museum by the Farrales family. The second photo is from the Center of Campus Art of DLS-CSB.

© 2026 Benilde Fashion Museum. Our archives are for educational and research purposes. We discourage reproduction or reposting without permission.

| This white satin terno, dated 1958, was worn by Linda Garcia Campos for her debut and was designed by Ramon Valera. ...
21/06/2026

| This white satin terno, dated 1958, was worn by Linda Garcia Campos for her debut and was designed by Ramon Valera. The ensemble features a voluminous pink and green floral-printed skirt with a slight train; its surface is fully embellished with sequins. A satin cummerbund adorned with a large half bow defines the waist and extends onto the skirt, creating a striking silhouette characteristic of the formal dress from the period.

Linda Garcia Campos was the daughter of former Philippine President Carlos P. Garcia. As a garment associated with a significant personal milestone, the terno offers insight into the role of fashion in social and family occasions during the mid-twentieth century.

The piece was donated to the Benilde Fashion Museum in 2025 by her son, Carlos Garcia Campos, and now forms part of the museum’s growing collection of garments connected to Philippine history and culture.

Detail shots by AB Photography student Dustin Estuche.

BFM From the Collection is a weekly spotlight on garments by Filipino designers that form part of the Benilde Fashion Museum Collection.

© 2026 Benilde Fashion Museum. Our photos are for educational and research purposes. We discourage reproduction or reposting without permission.

| More of “SLIM”The Benilde Fashion Museum presents a trio of ensembles by National Artist for Fashion Salvacion Lim-H...
20/06/2026

| More of “SLIM”

The Benilde Fashion Museum presents a trio of ensembles by National Artist for Fashion Salvacion Lim-Higgins, dating from the 1970s to the 80s. Crafted in crepe and chiffon, the garments are rendered in plum, lavender, and magenta, and are distinguished by pleated skirts, self-tie waist treatments, and geometric beadwork.

While united by a shared design vocabulary, each ensemble offers a distinct exploration of color, proportion, and surface embellishment. Together, they demonstrate Lim-Higgins' ability to create variation within a cohesive body of work, highlighting the interplay of form, texture, and color.

📍On view this June at the Taft Campus BFM Corner.

Today, we commemorate the death anniversary of Christian de Leon Espiritu, one of the country’s distinguished fashion de...
18/06/2026

Today, we commemorate the death anniversary of Christian de Leon Espiritu, one of the country’s distinguished fashion designers who passed away in 2023. He would have been 92.

Espiritu is remembered for his precision in the construction of clothes and the artistry of his striking embroidery and beadwork. He was known for a number of ternos worn by former First Lady Imelda Marcos to state visits and events, such as the opening of the Sydney Opera House in 1973. It featured callado embroidery of multicolored fans on a jusi material.

His passion for the arts went beyond couture. He worked in films as a costume designer and wardrobe consultant for “Gaano Kadalas ang Minsan” (1982), “Palabra de Honor” (1983), and as a director for “Alaga” (1980). He took up architecture in college and was a writer for newspapers such as the Philippine Star.

In 2010, Espiritu taught at De La Salle - College of Saint Benilde, where he instructed students in the fashion design and merchandising program.

His legacy in Philippine fashion design is preserved in the Benilde Fashion Museum, which houses a wedding terno he designed. It was worn by Dr. Sonia Duque and was gifted to the museum by her daughter Camille Albarracin, an alumna of Benilde and the Entrepreneur in Residence at the college’s Hub for Innovation and Inclusion.

Photo from the facebook post of National Archives of Australia, May 10, 2024

17/06/2026

On view this June at the BFM Corner at Benilde’s Taft Campus is a trio of crepe and chiffon ensembles in jewel tones of plum, lavender, and magenta, defined by pleated skirts, self-tie waist treatments, and geometric beadwork, by National Artist for Fashion Salvacion Lim-Higgins, dating from the 1970s to the 80s.

From the Benilde Fashion Museum collection.

| On this day in 1959, Salvacion Lim Higgins was photographed wearing the gown she made for her own wedding. The weddi...
15/06/2026

| On this day in 1959, Salvacion Lim Higgins was photographed wearing the gown she made for her own wedding. The wedding gown was characterized by its material and patterns, made with magnolia white satin and lace white skirt adorned with flower designs outlined by seed pearls.

Lim Higgins married businessman Hubert Higgins at the Manila Cathedral. Today, the gown forms part of the Benilde Fashion Museum collection, gifted by her son Mark Higgins in 2025.

Image source: The Benilde Fashion Museum archives of SLIM’s, donated by Mark Higgins.

© 2026 Benilde Fashion Museum. Our archives are for educational and research purposes. We discourage reproduction or reposting without permission.

| Designed by Ben Farrales, popularly known as the Dean of Philippine Fashion, this A-line red organza terno features ...
13/06/2026

| Designed by Ben Farrales, popularly known as the Dean of Philippine Fashion, this A-line red organza terno features a long train embellished with beaded lace and rose appliqués. The arc of the butterfly sleeves is reinforced with stick boning to support the weight of the embellishments, reflecting the designer’s attention to both structure and decoration.

The featured terno was photographed with Farrales during the celebration of Philippine International Aid’s (PIA) 25 years of service, held at the Grand Ballroom of the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco. The photograph forms part of the Ben Farrales Archives, Benilde Fashion Museum Collection.

The ensemble was also featured in Power, Fashion, Modernity: The Ternos of the Benilde Collection, an exhibition installed by the Center for Campus Art at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde in 2023.

The terno forms part of the donation made by the Farrales family to Benilde in 2022, a gift that sparked the creation of the Benilde Fashion Museum and laid the foundation for its collection. Since then, the collection has continued to grow through subsequent donations from designers, collectors, and families, further supporting the museum’s efforts to preserve and study Philippine fashion heritage.

BFM From the Collection is a weekly spotlight on garments by Filipino designers that form part of the Benilde Fashion Museum Collection.

© 2026 Benilde Fashion Museum. Our photos are for educational and research purposes. We discourage reproduction or reposting without permission.

| Happy Independence Day! At the Benilde Fashion Museum, we celebrate our nation by recognizing our Filipino designers...
12/06/2026

| Happy Independence Day! At the Benilde Fashion Museum, we celebrate our nation by recognizing our Filipino designers who helped shape our vibrant culture by preserving their work for future generations.
One of these designers is Salvacion Lim-Higgins aka SLIM, National Artist for Fashion Design.

Last June 10, the Benilde Fashion Museum (BFM) team posed with the final garment photographed for an upcoming special project of her works.

Shot by BFM photographer John Lanbert Rafols, these garments are among the pieces selected from the museum’s collection for an upcoming project that offers a closer look at the enduring legacy of Salvacion Lim-Higgins.

-Ar. Gerry Torres
Director, Benilde Fashion Museum

12/06/2026

Maligayang Araw ng Kalayaan!

Benilde joins the entire nation in celebrating our 128th Philippine Independence Day. We honor the courage and sacrifices of our heroes who fought for the freedom we enjoy today, allowing us to live fearlessly and create like no other.

Artwork by CIC Interns Jhan Laureese Paelm and David Joshua Drio, BAPDST

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950 P. Ocampo Street , Malate
Manila
1004

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