The Cultural Blueprint Behind Construction Layers

Design as cultural dialogue

Construction Layers‘ shared vision goes beyond mere clothing production, as they engage in rigorous ideation processes and relentless prototyping to breathe life into each piece. Their creations transcend the conventional boundaries of structural design, incorporating deep emotional resonance and storytelling into every stitch and fold.

The brand’s journey reflects a profound understanding that fashion serves as a medium for cultural expression and personal narrative. Each piece functions as a time capsule, with every designer’s thoughts, emotions, and creative explorations during specific moments in their journey being preserved. This temporal aspect of their work adds layers of meaning to their designs and makes each piece a tangible reflection of their creative evolution and the cultural zeitgeist that influenced their creation.

Rather than iterating on past successes, CP Garcia and Kendrick Cay seek to disrupt and recontextualize traditional ideas into meaningful dialogue with contemporary aesthetics and needs.

Technical execution

The ensemble features pristine white garments that serve as blank canvases for button detailing and layering techniques, evident in their sophisticated interpretation of headscarves. This aesthetic choice is far from arbitrary—it represents a deliberate blueprint for celebrating and elevating Filipino artisanal traditions within a modern context.

Through their work, Construction Layers speaks to a deeper understanding of clothing as a medium for storytelling, where each piece carries multiple layers of meaning—from the technical expertise evident in its construction to the cultural narratives woven into its design.

This story appears in the pages of VMAN SEA 01: now available for purchase!

Photography BJ Pascual

Creative direction Vince Uy

Fashion Andre Chang

Grooming Thazzia Falek

Grooming assistants George Dillinger, Vincci Tardes, and Jhessie Recto 

Hair Patty Cristobal

Nails Luz Fortuno (Triple Luck Brow and Nail Salon)

Retouching Summer Untalan

Models Diego Morissens (Luminary) and Eugene Reggio (Mercator)

Production Jones Palteng

Fashion assistant Kurt Abonal

On location PioneerX Studios

Dayne Aduna

Associate Editor

Dayne Aduna is an Associate Editor at VMAN Southeast Asia, specializing in fashion, grooming, film, television, and contemporary pop culture. With a strong editorial focus on menswear, his work explores how style intersects with shifting cultural movements across Southeast Asia and beyond.

His expertise spans fashion journalism, celebrity profiling, grooming and skincare trends, fragrance, runway reporting, and cultural commentary, with a particular eye for emerging creatives and youth-driven style.

Dayne has written extensively on fashion houses, seasonal trends, designer collections, and the evolving image of the modern Southeast Asian man, bringing both editorial depth and cultural relevance to his coverage.

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