ALSR Reimagines Corporate Dressing With Humor
ALSR transforms the clinical uniform with disruptive details—sharp lines emulating paper cuts, excessive pockets mirroring folders on the wall—all embodying the contrasts of office life
How ALSR makes office life fun
For Alser Lumawag, ALSR is more than just his brand: it’s a creative outlet and a cheeky escape.
He’s a corporate worker by day, but a fashion designer through and through. Inspired by the exciting diversity of his colleagues’ outfits on ‘wash day’ Friday and the usual supplies in an office setting, Alser expresses ‘workwear’ in an irreverent way, with collections and pieces named ‘Please See Attached,’ ‘Overtime,’ ‘Men in Uniform,’ among others.
“Many people in my office really dress and show up on Fridays—top-to-bottom outfits, colorful prints, and complete with accessories. I take inspiration from them, since they make office life fun,” he says.
ALSR transforms the clinical uniform with disruptive details—sharp lines emulating paper cuts, excessive pockets mirroring folders on the wall, all embodying the contrasts of corporate life and combining professionalism with humor.
His pieces encapsulate not just the Philippine working environment, but of Southeast Asia’s as well. He observes that corporate life across the region is quite consistent: long working hours, repetitive tasks, and of course, wash days that allow employees to express themselves more.
“People buy my clothes because they can relate to my story—most of them are also corporate workers,” he observes. He wants his clothes to be a source of fun for others, to make their office days exciting and obscure the fact that many of us in Southeast Asia are quite exhausted from their office jobs.
Alser is intent on creating well-made and sustainable clothes—pieces that can stand the test of time in terms of fit, construction, and relevance.
“In the future, I want people to see ALSR as a reminder of how hectic our work-life balance is. However, I also want them to understand that even though we are struggling with our jobs, we take time to dress up and have fun with fashion.”
Photography Joseph Bermudez
Art direction Mike Miguel
Fashion Corven Uy
Grooming and hair Jean Anganangan, Crish Marfil, Patricia Marcaida, and Dhanver Serrano (Nix Institute of Beauty)
Model Christian Bootle
Production design Studio Tatin
Production Francis Vicente
Lighting direction Rojan Maguyon
