As one of 12 FASHIONPhilippines designers at Milan Fashion Week, Jerome brings a 15-piece collection and a meditation on how language, material, and memory can be stitched into something at once subversive and soulful to Fondazione Sozzani.

This showcase is part of the FASHIONPhilippines Milan Mentorship Program. A project by Department of Trade and Industry – Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) collaboration with the Philippine Fashion Coalition, DOST PTRI, and Lit.fashion Consultancy, created to elevate Filipino talent on the international stage.

The story doesn’t end in Milan: these collections will return home to Manila FAME 2025 at the World Trade Center Philippines this October, a reminder that what we present to the world must also enrich our own ground.
Design For Tomorrow was asked to write the curator’s notes for Alembong, and lay out the collection’s accompanying literature. It was a privilege and a provocation to help frame Jerome’s vision at this milestone moment for Philippine design.

Alembong

Alembong. A word that, in its modern aftertaste, carries the sly curl of a lip: flirt, coquette, frivolous. Historically and anthropologically, before the weight of colonization and the catechism of virtue, it was something else: a shimmer in the air, the sparkle of a young Filipina’s wit, the quicksilver daring of laughter that refuses to bow. Alembong was ebullience itself, a feminine street-smartness that brightened the barangay.

The Spaniards, with their saints and sermons, found this sparkle too ungovernable. Under the gaze of Catholic morality, alembong was demoted to vice, its playful energy pressed into silence. Yet listen closely to the folk songs: Sitsiritsit with its teasing cadences, Paru-parong Bukid winging through fields, the lilting grace of Cariñosa, the unruly laughter of Waray-Waray, and the spirit persists. Each melody is a secret insurgency, an echo of alembong’s original freedom.

Jerome Lorico seizes this paradox. His Alembong Collection does not trade in coyness, but in reclamation. The garments, spun from piña, silk, cotton, and hybrid fibres, drape and unravel like wind skimming skin, never erotic for its own sake, but alive with ease, fire, and awakening. Like the tapis of old, they suggest both modesty and abandon, discipline and spontaneity.

In Milan, Alembong arrives not as nostalgia but as provocation: the lost feminine energy restored, the barrio lass and the city girl merged, water and fire in one body. What the Church once sought to tame, fashion here sets free.

Ric Gindap is the creative and strategy director of Design For Tomorrow, a top branding, strategy, and design agency based in Manila, Philippines. DFT is also registered in Singapore and collaborates with clients from Manila to Melbourne and Munich. Diverse projects have been completed from Bangkok to Berlin, and he has recently completed brand programs in Tokyo, Vienna, and Copenhagen.

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Many are in upheaval about the use of AI model images in place of humans. Some raise the issue of beauty perfection, job displacements, and the entire future of the modeling industry. Someone’s quick casual question about this topic ensued a reflection on, indeed, how do we all cross this juncture of authenticity and technology?

I’m not as steeped in fashion as I am marinated in the creative industry, having been a communications strategist for some decades now, and still at it. As such, I deal with data, analytics, and patterns of thoughts and cultures.

I think that at the base of these outcries, a mirror is being held to our face. Welcome to the emergence, embedding, and professionalization of AI in the creative industry. Happening at breakneck speed, unimaginable to most of us ordinary mortals, it also wasn’t invented yesterday. It’s been simmering under our noses while a great majority of us are busy with social media. It’s been an underground superintelligence that was ripe to go overground, is what I would think of it.

A quick trip to a site called KARTEL (AI-powered productions) and others like it tells us that the commercial production landscape has been not-so-quietly changing all along. Big brands like Sephora, Snickers, All Saints, films needing historical reenactments, and many others have trodden the AI path. AI Generalists, AI Creative Developers, and AI Directors are nascent job titles as we’re simply scraching the surface of the AI-powered creative industry.

Humanity and technology have often been at odds with each other. Think HUMANITY on one end of the spectrum, TECHNOLOGY on the other. In the middle of these two is CREATIVITY. The creative industry, which encompasses advertising, visual arts, handcrafts, music, graphic design, filmmaking, production, and writing, to name a few.

HUMANITY is realness, values, emotions, and natural beauty. TECHNOLOGY is efficiency, expedience, and also an imagination of what’s possible beyond human capacity. Once the latter is set into motion, there’s no going back. We’ve seen this with the internet, robotics-assisted healthcare, and the logistics of everyday goods. The applications of expediency go on. Our daily lives are now measured by convenience, comforts, solutions, engagements, and attractions.

CREATIVITY has often been prone to technological developments for a few good reasons: creation takes time, equipment of the trade is expensive, experts’ man-hours are high-value, and the entire industry is naturally open to experimentation and innovation.

In that mirror AI holds up to us, we find a face in shock. And we say, how could a big brand, Guess in this case, and Vogue, a respected institution in publishing and lifestyle curation dare replace human models with AI-gen similars? The ethical debate will prove to be a garden path, one which I’ll leave, for now, to experts.

If there’s one single distillation of the juncture that humanity and technology face in this case, it is about BEAUTY STORYTELLING. Beauty that encompasses the physical, emotional, and even ideals of kindness, respect, dignity, and such.

On the aspect of physical beauty, the industry is now faced with real choices. Do you tell the beauty story at its most natural, unassisted and unenhanced way or polished and expedient with imaginative technology? We lose and gain something from each method. And there will be collateral damage on both ends.

When the creative industry turns itself more towards AI-assistance in its beauty storytelling, would we miss something? The naturalness, the slight imperfection, the flow, the evocation of feelings by the images we show. The notion that beauty isn’t perfection is what exactly makes it relatable. A purely AI-creation in visual arts or graphic design, for instance, can’t fully telegraph emotions. Tried looking at one lately?

As the creative industry faces more of these crossroad decisions between humanity and technology, it’ll be prudent to be aware of the new tools of the trade, ever-sharper, ever-imaginative, enough to decide ‘what we’re trading in place of what’.

For now, we’re all probably experiencing the ‘shock of the new’ as Robert Hughes had articulated in his 1980 documentary on the evolution of modern art. We’ll most likely get used to the new scenery. But as humans, our choice muscle may need to keep getting stronger as we go along.

This article is human-written.

—

Pris Santos is a Senior Strategy Collaborator at Design For Tomorrow, working closely with Creative + Strategy Director Ric Gindap and the team in crafting brand narratives, strategies, and resonating copies.

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We’re witnessing a high-stakes transformation. Brands that fail to evolve risk lagging in this dash for advancement. Clean energy isn’t the future; it’s the current reality. It’s competitive, clean, and, for non-competitive brands, unforgiving. Companies that don’t sharpen their identity and amplify their impact risk being left in the dark.

Innovate or Disappear: The Clean Energy Branding Battle

The past five years have been a battleground for renewable energy branding. Powerhouses are making billion-dollar moves—driving energy transition at an unprecedented scale. Our new reality is anchored on the premise that sustainability is the industry’s new baseline.

Even non-energy brands are adapting. For example, Nestlé shifted to 100% renewable power as part of its long-term strategy, and ENGIE has implemented significant transitions with smart cooling solutions. These examples underscore a seismic shift: the clean energy revolution is now mainstream, declaring a clear message—embrace change or risk irrelevance.

From Chaos to Clarity: Branding in the Energy Sector

Companies face critical choices as decarbonization, digital transformation, and decentralization reshape the power industry. A strong brand strategy is necessary for energy companies in this “evolve or vanish” game. Effective branding cuts through complexity, giving clean energy companies a competitive advantage. It builds trust with stakeholders, attracts investors, and transforms technical innovation into compelling narratives that drive global impact.

At Design For Tomorrow (DFT), we’ve helped power companies turn their brand identity into an advantageous asset. We’ve proven that timeless aesthetics and strategic storytelling craft influence, leadership, and continuing relevance in an ever-shifting power sector.

CASE STUDY: ACEN – From Power Player to Global Clean Energy Brand

In 2017, AC Energy (now ACEN) was on the brink of transformation, with a global expansion underway. AC Energy boldly ventured into multiplying acquisitions and a fearless push toward renewable energy solutions. The brand needed more than a refresh—it needed clarity, cohesion, and cultural alignment.

1. UNIFYING CULTURE & STRATEGY

With acquisitions across Southeast Asia, AC Energy faced a branding crossroads: How to unify multiple entities under one compelling sustainability brand? DFT worked with leadership to craft “The AC Energy Way”, a shared vision that aligned teams, streamlined messaging, and established a clear sustainability communication strategy.

2. BRAND ARCHITECTURE & POSITIONING

We developed a brand hierarchy that clarified the relationship between conventional and renewable power generation—ensuring a strategic, investor-friendly structure.

3. VISUAL IDENTITY & ESG INTEGRATION

While the AC Energy logo remained untouched, we expanded the brand’s identity system—introducing bold typography, color palettes, and dynamic visuals inspired by geothermal, solar, wind, and thermal energy.

4. BRAND IMMERSION & ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN

We integrated sustainability branding principles into physical spaces—partnering with interior designers to create wayfinding graphics, digital displays, and corporate storytelling installations that reinforced AC Energy’s mission at every touchpoint.

5. A BOLD, UNIFIED BRAND

Our work resulted in a future-proof, investor-ready energy brand that propelled AC Energy’s rise as a global renewable leader, securing strategic partnerships and investment growth.

Branding Solar, Smart Grids, and Sustainable Transport

Design For Tomorrow channeled learnings with AC Energy into more energy, power, and sustainability projects that transform the direction of brands and their underpinning sustainable goals. Since delivering ACEN’s transformation, we’ve partnered with solar providers, energy tech startups, and smart infrastructure firms to build brands that reflect their mission and market leadership.

Bulacansol Solar Energy

Built a solar energy brand that champions sustainability and community impact, positioning Bulacansol as a leader in clean power solutions.

SHIN CLARK

Developed a sustainability-focused brand for a Filipino-Japanese energy partnership, uniting two cultures through a shared vision of innovation and reliability.

MPOWER

Crafted a bold energy rebrand for one of the Philippines’ leading power providers, positioning it for national expansion.

Vantage Energy

Transformed a renewable energy consulting firm into a top-tier energy solutions provider with a strategic brand refresh.

MOVEM

Launched a sustainable transport brand, redefining mobility through clean energy innovations.

Each of these brands now lead the conversation in energy transition, ESG impact, and sustainability innovation, proving that branding is an essential tool for articulating visions and manifesting ways to lead the future.

The Bottom Line: Why Branding Matters in Energy & Sustainability

Given the urgency of the energy transition, today’s clean energy landscape is more competitive than ever. Companies must do more to innovate, inspire, engage, and lead.

As one of the top branding agencies for renewable energy companies, DFT crafts strategic, investor-ready brands that compete and, in some instances, dominate.

Want to lead the clean energy revolution?

Message us and let’s build a brand that fuels impact, investment, and industry leadership.

Kickstart a potential branding collaboration today. The future of energy won’t wait.

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Last April 2025, Design For Tomorrow (DFT) partnered with the Ateneo Collegiate Society of Advertising (CoSA) to take part in their flagship project, Ad Expo. This annual program offers Ateneo students firsthand insights into the dynamics and work culture in the advertising industry through brand-led experiences, agency activations, and career opportunities. This year’s edition was themed Ad to Cart, and with our participation, we aimed to offer a unique perspective, emphasizing the crucial role that branding plays in the industry. 

We participated in the on-campus booth fair for two consecutive days, offering inquisitive students an inside look at our agency’s work and role in the creative industry. We showcased some of our works and opened internship opportunities for students aspiring to gain hands-on experience in the creative industry. We also plugged our sister company, Spruce Gallery, a third-space shop and art gallery in Ortigas that houses independent magazines. 

Honored to Inspire the Next Wave

Our engagement extended to the talk series, where DFT’s Creative Director and Chief Strategist, Ric Gindap, delivered a keynote on navigating the creative process of campaigns. Our talk explored how innovative strategies can amplify a brand’s market presence, illustrated by case studies from our work with luxury property, The Velaris Residences, and five-star event and entertaining brand, Marquis. Among the other guest speakers were Dennis Austriaco, Head of Nescafé, who discussed creating an authentic brand identity that fosters lasting customer loyalty, and Juliana Denise, a marketing strategist and entrepreneur, who shared strategies on positioning products as must-have items. 

We are honored and grateful for the cherished opportunity to play a meaningful role in crafting an inspiring journey for the next generation of aspiring creative, advertising, and branding professionals.

We are currently accepting internship applications. If you are interested in working with DFT, visit our careers page for more details or send your CV and portfolio to bl@designfortomorrow.co.

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