One name dominated the runway at this year’s Cebu Young Designers Competition: Sarah Tutor. With her stunning debut collection, Hosana, the young designer delivered a masterclass in sculptural elegance and soulful storytelling. It wasn’t just a win—it was a defining moment for Cebuano fashion, boldly announcing a new creative force to watch.
With a debut that was both introspective and structurally assured, Sarah Tutor stood out at the fifth Cebu Young Designers Competition, held last March at the SM J Mall Atrium. Her fashion collection, Hosana, offered a measured blend of sculptural form and meditative detail, capturing the attention of both the jury and the audience. The event marked the welcome return of the competition, first launched in 2003.
Tutor’s work balanced narrative and silhouette with clarity. Winning the Grand Prix, she presented garments shaped by quiet intention and personal meaning. Hosana echoed natural forms—palm fronds, vegetal textures—with ruffle accents in yellow and orange. Oversized jackets and windcheaters were reimagined using mesh panels that nodded to calado embroidery. Pieces like a pleated opera coat and structured overshirt underscored the collection’s interplay of craft and design.
The work recalls the vision of the late Joy Bernaldez, founder of the Clothes for Life Foundation, whose Filipiniana explorations continue to shape Cebu’s creative identity. Tutor was joined by runners- up King Rosales and Kimberly Claire Coronel, with other finalists rounding out a thoughtful and expressive cohort. With continued support from Oro China Jewelry and SM J Mall, CYDC revived a storied platform and reaffirmed Cebu’s place on the Philippine fashion map— alive with talent, purpose, and a generation ready to claim its place on the global stage.