Supporting local fashion doesn’t always have to come with a grand ceremony. It can really be as simple as finding something you like and wearing it. Alex Eala and Anne Curtis recently did exactly that, with both stepping out in statement pants by Filipino designer Carlene Zervoulakos.
For two Filipinas whose careers and influence are vastly different yet extend outside the Philippines, it’s a good time to be reminded that Filipino fashion can comfortably exist alongside everything else in their closets.
RELATED: A Look Back at Alex Eala’s Historic 2026 Mubadala DC Open Run
Alex Eala and Anne Curtis Wear Atelier Carlene
Eala is the latest to don Zervoulakos, wearing the designer’s Dark Denim Scenery Pants with the Tropical Sun Silk Halter Top, both from Atelier Carlene’s S/S26 collection. Together, the pieces let the tennis star have a little more fun with her off-court dressing.
Before that, Anne Curtis had reached for Zervoulakos during the recent blk x BASH trip to Lijiang, China. While out exploring, she wore a Pre-Fall 2026 design with a white shirt and a brown Alaïa Le Teckel bag.
Different collections, different styling—but the same young Filipino designer behind them.
Born and raised in Manila, Zervoulakos later studied at the University of the Arts London and has since expanded Atelier Carlene between Manila and London. Yet, as she confirmed in her previous interview with MEGA, her work remains rooted at home, with everything under Atelier Carlene inspired by the Philippines.
The Best Time to Wear Filipino Is Whenever You Want
Some may treat their locally made statement garments with so much reverence that they become precious clothing reserved only for special events.
But as Carlene Zervoulakos insists, and as Alex Eala and Anne Curtis show, you don’t have to wait for the right moment. There’s no need to cherry-pick. Find a Filipino piece you genuinely love, put it on, and wear it everywhere.
Photos: ANNE CURTIS (via Instagram), ALEX EALA (via Instagram), and ATELIER CARLENE (via Instagram)
Photographed by MAGIC LIWANAG
Frequently Asked Questions
Alex Eala wore Atelier Carlene’s Dark Denim Scenery Pants with the Tropical Sun Silk Halter Top, both from the designer’s S/S26 collection, styling the pieces for a playful take on off-court dressing.
Anne Curtis wore a Pre-Fall 2026 Atelier Carlene design paired with a white shirt and a brown Alaïa Le Teckel bag during the blk x BASH trip to Lijiang, China.
Carlene Zervoulakos is a Filipino fashion designer born and raised in Manila who studied at the University of the Arts London. She runs Atelier Carlene between Manila and London, with every collection inspired by the Philippines.
Both wore Atelier Carlene independently, in different collections and styling, showing how a young Filipino designer’s pieces can fit naturally into the everyday wardrobes of two Filipinas with very different, internationally visible careers.
No. As Carlene Zervoulakos and both Eala and Curtis demonstrate, local fashion pieces don’t need to be reserved for special events — they can be worn as often as any other favorite item in your closet.
