Victor Baguilat Jr’s path isn’t a traditional one, but it's easy to assume that he was in the fashion world all his life, given the prominence of his brand, Kandama Social enterprise. The brand has a strong presence locally– celebrities and politicians love his creations, plus he’s set up shop in places like Rockwell and Greenbelt. Kandama has also established a presence in Dubai, tapping an affluent market while bringing Ifugao culture to the world stage. While these may seem like normal movements for a fashion designer and his brand, many would be surprised to know that Baguilat was originally a law student. “I was nearly done with law school, so the shift to fashion came as a surprise to everyone, especially my family.”
Of course, Baguilat’s decision to pivot to the fashion industry wasn’t immediately met with warmth. This is a highly-relatable story for many Filipino creatives: the priority has always been stability and anything else may not be perceived as a worthwhile endeavor. This, however, did not deter the headstrong Baguilat, who viewed fashion as a vehicle to generate livelihood, empower indigenous women, and bring Filipino culture to a global audience.
Since making that bold decision of leaving law school, Baguilat has since received the prestigious TOYM award for his fashion design and social entrepreneurship work. He has also shown his designs in New York Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week. Vogue Italy took notice of his creations as well, and published a fashion editorial dubbed “Indigenous Futurism,” featuring Pia Wurtzbach-Jauncy.
