A PRACTICE IN PROGRESS
Idyllic Summers is an independent studio rooted in Filipino materiality and expanded through curatorial authorship. What began as a womenswear label has evolved into a slower, more deliberate practice—one that treats fashion as both inquiry and infrastructure.
We work closely with Filipino artisans, indigenous communities, and local suppliers to develop garments that hold both surface and structure. Each piece is handmade in the Philippines through a collaborative process grounded in mutual respect, deep attention, and long-term commitment.
Founded by Steffi Cua—an alumna of the London College of Fashion and the Royal College of Art’s Curating Contemporary Art Summer School—Idyllic Summers resists the logic of fast fashion and cultural tokenism. Her early experience in the womenswear buying offices of Harrods informs a deep understanding of fashion’s commercial systems, which she now engages with critically through slower, authored practice.
We approach design as a form of authorship, shaped by research, memory, and material knowledge. The result is a body of work that sits between fashion, craft, and curation—quietly building an alternative system from within.
Passion for Craftsmanship
Artisans across the Philippines
Every piece begins with the hands of Filipino artisans—working across regions, traditions, and techniques. From the weaving communities of Abra and Iloilo to embroiderers, dyers, and makers in other parts of the country, each collaborator brings generational knowledge, rhythm, and care.
We honour these practices while introducing subtle interventions: custom colourations, unexpected textures, and contemporary forms. Rather than treating tradition as fixed, we approach it as a living process—one shaped through dialogue, mutual authorship, and a shared commitment to integrity over speed.
We honour these practices while introducing subtle interventions: custom colourations, unexpected textures, and contemporary forms. Rather than treating tradition as fixed, we approach it as a living process—one shaped through dialogue, mutual authorship, and a shared commitment to integrity over speed.
Ease, Not Escape
Reframing Comfort & Everyday Dress
We design garments that honour comfort as a deliberate choice—one that makes space for movement, climate, and care.
Soft natural textiles, adjustable ties, and breathable silhouettes are crafted with intention, shaped by the quiet rhythms of tropical life. Each piece is lived-in yet composed, gentle yet grounded.
Our work offers ease as structure—for those who move through the world with thoughtfulness, clarity, and depth.
Soft natural textiles, adjustable ties, and breathable silhouettes are crafted with intention, shaped by the quiet rhythms of tropical life. Each piece is lived-in yet composed, gentle yet grounded.
Our work offers ease as structure—for those who move through the world with thoughtfulness, clarity, and depth.
Exploring Culture & Heritage
A Local Interpretation
Our collections draw from a wide field of traditional dress—interpreting silhouettes such as Romanian blouses, East Asian layering garments, and kaftan forms through a distinctly Filipino lens.
We work with local textiles like Binakol and Hablon not as ornament, but as structure—embedding them into garments that carry both memory and invention. This is not replication, but translation: a dialogue between cultures, materials, and lived context.
We work with local textiles like Binakol and Hablon not as ornament, but as structure—embedding them into garments that carry both memory and invention. This is not replication, but translation: a dialogue between cultures, materials, and lived context.