Yndan x Artist Collaboration: Turning tradition into canvas

YNDAN, the Filipino clothing label rooted in community craft and slow fashion, proudly presents Yndan x Artist Collab. In this special project, Yndan provided handwoven locally made denim shirts to four exceptional artists, inviting them to treat each piece as a blank canvas for wearable art.

ART MEETS FASHION Yndan x Artist Collaboration highlights wearable creations by Rene Milan, Ace Eugenio Enriquez, Mai Pimentel De Dios and Jay Vincent Gatdula. PHOTO FROM YNDAN

Created by Yndan’s sewers and weavers in Indang, Cavite, the denim shirts have been transformed by Rene Milan, Ace Eugenio Enriquez, Mai Pimentel De Dios and Jay Vincent Gatdula — each bringing their unique voice and vision into the fabric.

De Dios, a visual artist known for her glitch-inspired pop expressionist style, has used her shirt to explore themes of emotion and distortion. After losing her child and while undergoing cancer treatment, she turns to art as a way to process pain and reconnect with herself. Her approach distorts traditional imagery to reveal something more personal underneath — imperfections that feel real and alive.

For this collaboration, she adapts her glitch techniques to the denim surface, experimenting with layering, color dissonance and hand-drawn patterns. The shirt reflects her bold style and her ability to convey emotional depth through a visual statement. 

Milan reimagines the shirt through the lens of his signature geometric abstraction. Known for his thoughtful reflections on identity and resilience, Milan uses the shirt as a continuation of his visual tribute to Filipino womanhood. Inspired by traditional silhouettes and inner strength, his design weaves color form and meaning into a piece that is both emotional and empowering — a quiet but powerful celebration of feminine spirit.

Enriquez has brought his background in engineering into play with a structured yet deeply expressive piece. Combining technical precision with painterly intuition, he explores personal transformation using texture and layered narratives to reflect growth movement and introspection.

His denim shirt is an intersection of discipline and emotion, mapping out the transition from logic to feeling; from structure to story. The result is a work that captures the balance between chaos and control, calculation and creativity.

Gatdula has applied his signature style known as Sining Sawali to create a textured tribute to Filipino culture. Drawing inspiration from traditional woven walling and local life, he transforms the shirt into a patchwork of storytelling, celebrating heritage, everyday beauty and the Filipino spirit. Each brushstroke and woven motif mirrors the architecture of memory and belonging.

This collaboration reflects Yndan’s commitment to honoring culture, supporting local craftsmanship and celebrating Filipino creativity.

By handing over its handmade shirts to the minds and hands of these four artists, Yndan redefines what it means to wear art with each piece serving as a conversation between tradition and imagination.

The collection will be showcased at Artefino, R1 Lifestyle Hall & The Fifth at Rockwell Powerplant Mall from July 31 to Aug. 3, 2025.