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At New York Fashion Week for FILIPINXT, Leo Bartolome and Adante Leyesa’s collaboration merges contrasting design aesthetics into a statement of community, craftsmanship, and cultural pride
When two artists collide—especially when those creatives have built their careers around contrasting aesthetics—something magical happens. Seasoned designers Leo Bartolome and Adante Leyesa have always been driven by their passion for the craft. But this season, their collaboration, Tough Love, proves that love can be a little… tough, and that contrast can be the most beautiful thing.
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Raw and Real Artistry
At the heart of their collaboration is a tension between the rough, raw denim of Bartolome’s Edited Limited and Leyesa’s feminine, ornate embellishments. But it’s not just an aesthetic tug-of-war; it’s an emotional one, too. As Adante Leyesa explains, Tough Love isn’t just about juxtaposing denim with delicate hand-folded ribbon roses, but the struggles and negotiations between two designers who, after nearly two decades of friendship, finally managed to blend their opposing styles into something cohesive and personal.
Leyesa’s love for tactile, textured pieces shines through in his Coco Necklace collection. A tribute to a pet he lost, the chunky beads of the Coco necklace—composed of everything from stone to ceramics to wood—offer a mix of textures that represent more than just an accessory. For Leyesa, the creation of these pieces was a form of emotional release, a way to “let go” of grief. “Grieving is loving for someone we lost. It is love still and it is tough,” he reflects. It’s clear that the collection is as much about mending broken hearts as it is about crafting intricate designs.
But it doesn’t stop at emotional healing. The physicality of the pieces adds a layer of “tough” that rings true. From the durable denim to the hand-beaded Cocoon handbags, there’s a deliberate roughness in their construction—one that speaks to the painstaking work of artisans. And these artisans, who Leyesa praises for their dedication to hand-stitching, are the healers of Tough Love. The collection also underscores their commitment to sustainability, recycling materials, and embracing the practice of upcycling to create forward-thinking pieces.
Tough Love represents something more than just a design concept. It embodies their love for craftsmanship, their commitment to community, and their drive to create meaningful, long-lasting fashion. Even the colors—blues, blacks, reds, and greens—carry weight. Blue evokes hope for the future; black represents power, mystery, and the unknown, while the hints of red show a passion for what they do. Green, in turn, is a nod to sustainability—a theme that both Bartolome and Leyesa take seriously.
Tough Meets Tender
Tough Love explores contrasts. “The two brands’ conflicting design principles and styles resulted in plenty of struggles, negotiations, and considerations,” Bartolome says. Edited Limited is known for its genderless, almost architectural silhouettes, the heavy denim, and raw edges, while Leyesa’s approach is more tactile and decorative, with extravagant materials and embellishments.
Visualize a rugged denim skirt, its sharp edges softened by a cascade of silk organza, as if the tough fabric has been kissed by grace itself. Now, picture a fringe skirt—raw-edged denim in all its raw glory—entwined with the delicate, hand-folded roses that have become Leyesa’s signature. The contrast is brave, and the connection is undeniable—a thrilling clash of textures that somehow exists in unexpected harmony.
When these two minds come together, the result is a fusion of “unfiltered, solid looks” that are both practical and expressive. Bartolome’s focus on the wearability of each piece ensures that it’s for the real world, too.
A Love Worthy of Efforts
This collaboration is personal for both designers, especially for Bartolome, who admits that his debut full collection at New York Fashion Week was “like a roller-coaster ride.” From the many revisions and sudden changes to the struggle of navigating two creative minds with distinct visions, this was a collection built on the foundation of teamwork and mutual respect, overcoming limitations, turning fear into creativity, and making something beautiful together.
Tough Love is an appreciation of the Filipino fashion community. Bartolome and Leyesa know that they’re part of something bigger now, especially with FILIPINXT officially joining the NYFW calendar. Both men are quick to acknowledge the importance of FILIPINXT’s role in the larger global conversation. “FILIPINXT is a stunning glimpse of hope for Filipino fashion,” Leyesa says. The dream, they hope, is for the platform to continue to grow, offering more opportunities for Filipino designers to showcase their work on the world stage.
Leo Bartolome and Asante Leyesa’s collaboration is a rallying cry for community empowerment, for the preservation of Filipino culture, and for the future of sustainable fashion. And if Tough Love teaches us anything, it’s that love, while sometimes tough, is always worth the effort.
Photographed by DOMINIC SENADOR
