Carl Jan Cruz

Carl Jan Cruz is a Filipino designer label based in Manila that makes clothing, denim, footwear and bags. Its pieces are developed entirely in the designer's Manila atelier, from fabrics to finished garments.

What is Carl Jan Cruz?

Carl Jan Cruz is a fashion label from Manila, Philippines, named after its designer. The label describes its collections as visual autobiographies, a dialogue between personal past and present, and everything is developed in the designer's Manila atelier, from the fabrics to the final pieces.

History

Carl Jan Cruz trained at the London College of Fashion and interned at Céline under Phoebe Philo before building his own label in Manila. He has described his approach as a kind of caricature, exaggerating familiar garment details, and the brand has shown its work through a self-staged showroom in Paris.

Products and positioning

The label is known for voluminous coats, dresses and tunics, often asymmetric or oversized, in materials such as lightweight denim, organza and cotton pique. Other signatures include patchwork pieces with exaggerated zigzag stitching and boxy jeans with upturned hems. Its online range is organised into lines such as Pique, Denim and Studies, alongside Islander by Carl Jan Cruz slippers and footwear and Rib Bags.

Distribution

The brand sells through its own website and a physical space at 45 Bayani in Manila, and has been stocked by international boutiques including Maryam Nassir Zadeh in New York and 100% Silk Shop in Toronto.

Why it matters

Carl Jan Cruz is one of the Filipino labels that has carried a locally made, design-led identity into international stockists.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Carl Jan Cruz from?

Carl Jan Cruz is a fashion label from Manila, Philippines, where all pieces are developed in the designer's atelier.

What does Carl Jan Cruz sell?

The label sells oversized coats, dresses, tunics and denim, as well as Islander slippers and Rib Bags.

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