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By all accounts, Maris Racal looked every inch the leading lady when she stepped onto the red carpet of the 27th Taipei Film Festival. While the cameras caught the usual glamour—a graceful sweep of lace, a timeless silhouette—it’s the inspiration behind her look that might surprise you: Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina.
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Paris-educated, rosy-tinted, Givenchy-dressed Audrey Hepburn is reimagined by Filipino designer AJ Javier into a modern Filipiniana. “Audrey Hepburn serves as a fashion icon who transcended the views of women in fashion,” Javier shares. “She proved that women shouldn’t be boxed by societal standards… they have the autonomy to decide how they want to be viewed.”
That act of resistance—a woman choosing her image—echoes in Maris Racal’s own onscreen story. Sunshine, the critically-acclaimed sports drama she’s been promoting in global film festivals, follows a young gymnast whose Olympic dreams are halted by an unplanned pregnancy. What follows is less a fall from grace than a rerouting, one that embraces womanhood in all its complexity.
Racal’s Filipiniana reflects this same duality: rooted in heritage, but free in its interpretation. Designed in collaboration with stylist Adrianne Concepcion, the dress is “a product of classic couture from the ‘50s, incorporating Givenchy’s elegant laces with traditional Filipino culture,” says Javier. While it honors Filipino dress codes—structured sleeves, artisanal lace—the gown reads neither costume nor cosplay. It’s soft and assertive at once, a rare feat.
When Maris first tried it on, “she was astonished,” Javier recalls. “She loved how the gown pays homage to her home country while still having a modern yet elegant silhouette.” There were no last-minute changes; the vision was clear from the beginning.
“I’m honored to have dressed Maris Racal at such a prestigious film festival,” AJ Javier says. “It’s rewarding to see my drawings come to life on an international stage and to see all the love and appreciation for my work.”
Some dresses make a statement. Others make an argument. In Maris Racal’s case, it was both: a graceful thesis on what it means to carry cultured, modernity, and womanhood all in the same breath, and silhouette.
Photographed by DOOKIE DUCAY, assisted by BYRON DE GUZMAN and SEAN FRANCISCO. Creative Direction by EUGENE DAVID. Styled by ADRIANNE CONCEPCION, assisted by MISS VINCE. Hair by ARIES MANAL. Makeup by JANICA CLETO. Shot at PIONEERX STUDIOS.
For Audrey Hepburn: AUDREY HEPBURN VIA FACEBOOK
