MANILA, Philippines — Celebrated local designer Rajo Laurel is releasing the new Spring/Summer 2026 collection of his eponymous fashion house RAJO with themes evoking color and memory.
The new collection is titled "Child's Play," inspired by industrial designer Nina Tolstrup's work especially her Bethnal Green Mews House and not the slasher franchise featuring Chucky.
Laurel's latest collection looks at childhood as simple but resonant palette of wonder, where color is still experienced as a feeling rather than a theory or trend.
"Child's Play" treats color as something playful and precise, a place for boldness to exist with restraint as each hue used carries intention.
The designers treat familiar shades like soft neutrals, warm earth tones, and quiet pastels as grounding elements for that sense of calm and accessibility.
Vibrant colors such as electric blue, citrus bursts and saturated primaries are playfully infused in flashes with instinctiveness, guided by memories beyond creative talent.
From an internal sense, the collection invites contemplation on how early experiences have left an enduring impact, particularly the colors first interacted in childhood, which have left marks on the consciousness — resurfacing as nostalgic emotions of comfort or joy.
"There is a certain honesty in how children engage with the world," Laurel said in a statement. "They respond to color without hesitation or judgment. That purity of response, of simply liking something because it brings joy, is something I wanted to revisit in this collection."
There is even intention in the physical appearances in the collection's clothing. Silhouettes are deliberate yet fluid, structure is balanced with ease and fabrics are selected for their interactions with colors, particularly how they absorb, reflect, and transform hues in different conditions.
The launch of the "Child's Play" collection comes just as Laurel is about to open a third RAJO branch in SM Aura on April 6.
Rajo Laurel's Spring/Summer 2026 collection will be available all RAJO stores (including the branches in Shangri-La Plaza and Power Plant Mall) beginning April 11, 2026 and on the designer's website on April 14.