In 2022, Carl Jan Cruz launched the first collection in collaboration with UNIVERS. Now, almost three years later, Carl Jan Cruz and UNIVERS introduce Vol. II.
Vol. II represents the continued narrative co-authored by UNIVERS and Carl Jan Cruz. It is rooted in the contemporary Filipino, and outlines both brands’ commitment to the evolving dialogue of craftsmanship and design.
Since 2022, Carl Jan Cruz has evolved— expanding both physically, in terms of studio and store space, but also growing through our team, or CarlJanCrewz. In a greater sense, the brand has moved from being more of an individual voice to a collective one.
From the beginning, CJ has always created clothes under the sensibility that he would wear them. Now, the brand pulls inspiration from sensibilities of the team — silhouettes that specific individuals would wear, colors that interest them, lengths and hemlines that fit different bodies.
This Vol. II Collection was created with a blend of sensibilities from the team, as well as, with the experience and skills collected from ten years of Carl Jan Cruz. With almost 80 distinct styles, this collection not only represents strides in our in-house design process, but in our in-house production as well. Expressing a refined take on texture and form, this capsule collection takes on familiar silhouettes and introduces a series of explorations in textile development.
A cocoon-shaped pilot pleated jacket in selvedge denim.
A washed long tencel coat.
A crushed tea-dyed silk shantung dress.
A classic Carl Jan Cruz Box Tee, made in a heavy jersey pique.
Exploring new fabrications and washes, muted colors with pops of color, and refined finishings—this collection aims to delve into the ethos of both brands, while also giving insight on new studies to come.
This collection was captured in a number of formats; campaign, lookbook, video, interview. The campaign was shot by Regine David, with models Bruce Venida and Anna Buquid. Shot in both 45 Bayani and Univers at One Rockwell, the aim was to blend the two spaces and brands.
The Lookbook, done by Renzo Navarro, catches the garments in movement— styled by Michael Salientes. In between shots, Renzo captures the models (Anna Buquid, Ashanti Beltran, Lorenzo Rafael, Manch Tan and Nidhya Kumar) by framing them against the blue sky.
For the video aspect, Carl Jan Cruz collaborated with Friend of the House, Mimiyuuh. Creating a reel that previews the garments while also highlighting Mimi’s personal connection to fashion.
In a Nous story by UNIVERS, CJ was interviewed by AA Patawaran. Full article to be found here.
The Carl Jan Cruz Vol. II Collection at Univers solidifies the brand’s vision; teetering the line between familiar and unexpected. It builds off of foundational sensibilities while also acting as a catalyst of future explorations; both in design and production.