Proudrace Creative Director Rik Rasos would like you to dress outside of the box — or in his words, “KURKUR.”

Rik Rasos of Proudrace sees the world very differently. Through his eyes, not everything is as it seems. A plastic bag isn’t simply disposable, a plain white sneaker isn’t just a basic essential, and clothes, in general, shouldn’t just be functional.
And this is why he’d like to think that Proudrace’s latest collection is KUKUR.
And what is KUKUR, you ask?
“Basically, my collection is called KUKUR, and it means ‘kukurtinahin.’ So, there’s this term in the ’70s that I would always hear from mga older uncles. They would always say it if they see something different, or they would see something na it’s not in the norm, ‘yung fashion sense ng tao. They would always say, ‘Oh, look at that person, ‘yung damit niya, it’s kukur.’ Then I would always ask, what does ‘kukur’ mean? Kukurtinahin, yun pala,” Rasos tells L’Officiel Philippines.
“Yun pala, it’s about clothes that look like materials being used for curtains, something like that. So, that stuck with me, and it became a term that’s very endearing to me. I feel like I can relate to it because my clothes are out of the ordinary. So, sometimes my silhouettes are severe, my fabrication is severe, also. So, I feel like it’s something that speaks to me. So, that’s why I called it KUKUR. Also, when I was young, I also liked draping curtains, you know. So, I thought, ‘Oh, this is perfect. This is what I want to call my collection.’”

So it’s fitting that his runway show was clad with curtains of different fabrics — from lace to heavier textiles. As guests settled into their seats, the venue played karaoke hits, which attendees gladly sang along to. It was less of a conventional fashion show and more of a distinctly Filipino scene.
And this is what Rik does best: kitsch. Filipino kitsch, to be exact.
He gets the culture so well that he can play with the nuances of ordinary Filipino life without a sense of pretentiousness or haughty cool. It’s effortless and desirable, while still being provocatively avant-garde. The collection takes familiar things and turns them just enough to make you question what you’re looking at.

Photographed by No Name PH courtesy of MNL Fashion Week

The show opened with Michelle Dee, Proudrace’s muse, in a suit dress with a sleek wrapped scarf, styled in a bespoke manner. What ensued were more layered looks that remixed Proudrace’s design codes of stripes and workwear through utilitarian jackets, manipulated proportions, and twisted ankle trousers that made you do a double-take.
“This season, I’m still presenting an artisanal collection. So, basically, artisanal techniques are going to be used. It’s going to be a little bit more tailored. That’s also a focus on this collection,” Rasos says.&nbsp;“Also, draping, but not the usual draping that you would see on evening dresses because we’re trying to explore other styles of draping in different fabrics that you won’t usually drape.”

The result is a collection that feels like Proudrace, but with its usual deconstruction pushed into more technical territory. Garments are extended, manipulated, and given new proportions so they can be worn differently from how they were originally intended. Unexpected pairings of prints and silhouettes become a driving force, while familiar garments are made unfamiliar.
“And then, of course, our usual signature… The DNA of the brand is deconstruction, you know. Reworks are still there. You can still definitely see it there. It’s just that we tried to make it less obvious, but the reworks and construction is still there. Like, when you see it up close, you’re going to be like, ‘Oh, okay, it’s not just a dress. This is actually tank tops made into a dress.’”
“We’re really focusing on that, like where can we take this material? How can you drape something that’s not drapeable or whatever? We’re trying to push our boundaries here to see what we can do. And we also tried a little bit of couture techniques just to see if it’s going to work on something like a basic thing, but with a couture technique.”
There’s so much going on that it’s sometimes hard to keep up with the pieces—but that’s the beauty of them. You’d like to take a closer look, and upon inspection, everything gets better. What first appears to be a simple garment reveals another construction underneath, another layer, another joke.
Then there was also a segment solely for a new adidas x Proudrace collaboration, which broke the momentum a bit. Patched-up denim jackets with the iconic three stripes were sent down the runway, alongside dresses and sweats that weren’t quite as they seemed. The collaboration is particularly significant: it marks the first partnership between adidas and a Filipino fashion label, a milestone Rasos says reinforces that Filipino creativity belongs in the global conversation.
But the last segment brought about a new kind of Proudrace, too — one that’s a little more risqué than his last collection.

“For me now, I just feel like this collection is a bit more… I wouldn’t say more mature, but I feel like it’s a bit more technique-heavy. And also, I feel like it’s a bit more subtle because my first collection was very in your face, like, ‘This is what I can do, I’ll show you.’”
“So now, it’s a bit more subtle. I tried to really focus on technique, I tried to focus on my fabrications, I tried to focus on textures and how pieces drape. So, I think that’s the only difference now, but you can still see deconstruction, you can see how everything that it’s still very tongue-in-cheek.”
“Also, with this collection, you can see the form of the body on some pieces. I think this season, it’s a bit sexier. I feel like this collection amped up the sexiness.”

And he wasn’t kidding. There was more skin, cutouts, and shorter skirts that weren’t baggy for a change. It felt grown-up but still fun. Raw denim washes came stamped with the label “C.U.M.” — a cheeky touch that feels entirely in line with Proudrace’s subversive humor.
The elephant in the room, though, is the printed text “SUBMISSIVE” emblazoned across many of the pieces. It’s almost as if these oddball clothes are being made to conform to a stereotype — to declare themselves submissive even as everything about them resists the idea.
And that’s what Proudrace does so well.
The label may have started in Filipino streetwear and underground culture, but Rasos has steadily expanded its vocabulary toward craftsmanship, heritage techniques, and everyday Filipino life. The rebellious energy remains, but it now comes with a deeper interest in construction and the cultural references that shaped him.
Rasos always finds a way to keep things fresh and new, but also so oddly familiar. A curtain becomes a silhouette. A basic garment becomes something else. A sportswear collaboration becomes part of a deconstructed wardrobe. And a word once used by older Filipino titos to describe something strange becomes the perfect title for a collection about embracing the unusual.&nbsp;Different, after all, is the norm at Proudrace.

Different Is the Norm at Proudrace for MNL Fashion Week 2026

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