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This is an excerpt from MEGA July 2026 Designer Profile
Women often become the architects of a family’s survival. They make difficult choices, stretch what little is available, and continue forward when circumstances offer no clear path. Their presence lives on in the habits they teach, the standards they set, and the examples they leave behind.
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MONOHOMME Studios designer Mikayl Trinidad draws from those inheritances in his latest collection. Inspired by his grandmother, mother, and aunt, the collection reflects the resilience that carried them through hardship and the optimism that allowed them to keep believing in something better. Their story is one of sacrifice transformed into possibility and of women determined to give their families a future larger than the one they inherited.
Like gardenias emerging through cracks in stone, the collection finds beauty in endurance. It serves as both a tribute and a thank-you letter to the women who shaped the designer behind the label and the values that continue to guide his work.
MEGA sits down with Trinidad to discuss storytelling, womanhood, and the personal memories woven throughout MONOHOMME Studios.
Before MONOHOMME Studios became a label, who was Mikayl? What kind of child were you, and what first pulled you toward fashion? Additionally, what does MONOHOMME Studios stand for?
I’m the eldest in the family, so from a young age, I naturally took on a lot of responsibility. I focused on doing well in school while working toward the future I wanted for myself.
Fashion has always been inside me, but it wasn’t until college that everything started. Since we didn’t wear uniforms, everyone expressed themselves through the way they dressed, and I realized how clothing reflected a person’s identity. Being surrounded by that environment sparked my interest in fashion.
Today, MONOHOMME Studios stands for storytelling through clothing. Every collection is rooted in personal experiences, memories, and moments that have shaped me, translated into garments that people can connect with in their own way.
Where did you study, and what were the most important lessons you took from your education—both inside and outside the classroom?
I studied Broadcast Communication at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. One of the biggest lessons I learned was the importance of credibility and trust. As a media practitioner, your responsibility is to communicate stories honestly and meaningfully.
That lesson continues to influence me as a designer. I believe people connect more deeply with your work when there’s authenticity behind it.
Fashion can be a difficult industry to enter, especially as a young designer. What were the realities of starting out that nobody prepared you for?
I learned very quickly that passion and grit can take you far, but fashion is still a business. Creativity is essential, but resources matter too.
The reality is that bringing ideas to life often depends on your ability to fund them. Nobody really prepares you for how much fashion involves balancing creativity with business decisions.
This collection is rooted in the women who raised and shaped you—your grandmother, mother, and aunt. What qualities of theirs keep finding their way into your work?
What continues to inspire me is their strength and dedication as women and mothers. They worked incredibly hard to provide opportunities and a future that they themselves didn’t always have access to.
In many ways, this collection is my tribute to them. Their resilience, generosity, and commitment to family continue to influence how I approach my work and the stories I choose to tell through MONOHOMME Studios.
What are the recurring themes, shapes, or motifs that keep appearing in your collections?
Denim and lace have become signature materials for the brand because they represent two contrasting ideas that I enjoy exploring: strength and softness.
In our first womenswear collection, scoop necklines appeared throughout many of the looks. It was a subtle reference to my grandmother, who wore a simple white tank top almost every day. Small details like that often carry personal stories within the collection.
How do you approach sexiness without letting it overpower the woman wearing the clothes? What have women taught you about power?
For me, sexiness comes from confidence rather than exposure. Many of the women I’ve worked with tell me that the clothes allow them to see themselves in a different way.
The garment should never overpower the person wearing it. The most powerful part is always the woman herself.
What do you think contemporary women want from fashion that previous generations perhaps did not?
I don’t think previous generations lacked the desire for self-expression; they simply had fewer opportunities and were often limited by social expectations.
Today, women have more freedom to define their own identities through clothing. They want pieces that are functional, sustainable, and reflective of who they are.
If someone discovers MONOHOMME Studios for the first time, what is the one thing you hope they understand about your work?
I hope they understand that every piece has a purpose behind it. Nothing is created at random.
At MONOHOMME Studios, we tell stories through clothing, many of which are rooted in real experiences and personal memories. The brand has always been connected to meaningful moments—celebrations, milestones, and memories—and I hope people can feel that sense of intention whenever they encounter our work.
Photographed by HALLVARD CANO. Art Direction by TROY NONATO. Fashion Assistant KRISSIE TERUEL. Produced by THESSMAR LECTURA. Sittings Editor SEAN CASTELO III. Hair by REESE ROQUE. Makeup by YRA MANTARING. Photography Assistant CHARMAINE FELIX. Model RAEJELL of PMAP. Styling Assistants PAOLO COMEDIERO and BISH DASWANI. Shot on location at WHAT ABOUT COFFEE.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mikayl Trinidad is a Filipino fashion designer and the founder of MONOHOMME Studios, a Manila-based label that centers storytelling through clothing. Each collection is rooted in personal experiences, memories, and family history, translated into womenswear that connects with the people who wear it.
The collection was inspired by Trinidad’s grandmother, mother, and aunt — three women whose resilience and sacrifice shaped both his upbringing and his design practice. It serves as a tribute to their strength and the belief they held in building a future larger than the one they inherited.
MONOHOMME Studios is known for combining denim and lace — materials that represent strength and softness respectively. The scoop neckline is a recurring motif across the brand’s womenswear, used as a subtle personal reference to Trinidad’s grandmother, who wore a simple white tank top daily.
Trinidad studied Broadcast Communication at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. The discipline’s emphasis on credibility, honest storytelling, and meaningful communication directly shapes his design philosophy — he believes that audiences connect most deeply with work when there is genuine authenticity behind it.
Trinidad believes contemporary women want fashion that is functional, sustainable, and expressive of their individual identities. While previous generations shared the same desire for self-expression, today’s women have more freedom to define themselves through clothing without the social constraints that limited earlier generations.
