From Patikim to Salo-Salo: The shared spirit of Vol. II
Carl Jan Cruz and Univers blur the lines between atelier and retail, intimacy and community
On Thursday, September 4, 2025, Carl Jan Cruz and Univers unveiled “Volume II” at Univers One Rockwell, Makati City in an intimate press presentation that felt more like a gathering than a launch. The collection, grounded in Filipino sensibilities, expanded on a conversation the two began three years ago, one that continues to define what contemporary fashion means when it carries both personal and cultural memory.
The concept borrows from Filipino traditions, “Patikim” (the first taste) shaped the intimate preview, while “Salo-salo” (the communal gathering) framed the event as a shared experience. Inside the store, the CJC atelier was reimagined through mannequins, racks, and work tables, turning the retail floor into a space that mirrored the rhythms of a studio. It wasn’t just about viewing clothes, it was about stepping into the process behind them.
For CJ, the collection reflects an ongoing dialogue with identity. “The focus now is defining what a wardrobe means when it is both contemporary and Filipino,” he explained. “Over the last decade, my team and I have built a body of work rooted in references from our archives and collective memory, simmering these details into a T-shirt, a hoodie, or a jacket. We have established our design codes, but we continually ask ourselves: what shades have we not worked with, what colors have we not developed or remixed?”
The garments themselves embody this search. A cocoon-shaped pilot pleated jacket in selvedge denim, a washed tencel coat, a crushed tea-dyed silk shantung dress, and heavy jersey pique iterations of CJC’s pambahay pique styles revealed a balance between experimentation and ease, familiar silhouettes reshaped into wearable pieces of art.
Jappy Gonzalez, managing director of Univers, shared how much the collaboration has grown since its first volume. “It’s been about three years since we last collaborated with CJ and I’m seeing a much more evolved range. I mean this in every aspect: styling, fitting, quality of production, quality of design — all while maintaining the overall spirit of the brand. It intersects because the brand evolves and defines its own spirit, not with a trend in mind, but through personal and brand growth.”
Beyond the clothes, the evening gathered designers, photographers, and image-makers into one space, emphasizing fashion as a communal act. With Vol. II, Cruz and Univers offered more than garments — they opened up a dialogue, stitching together tradition, community, and modernity into a distinctly Filipino wardrobe.
Learn more about Vol. II on Univers’s website
