March celebrated the woman; her achievements, her independence, and her total empowerment. The world these days is not perfect; inequality continues to cast its shadow across the darkest corners of every day lives. Being a woman is not just a personal experience, but a political one as well.
Today’s women are motivated to defy convention with every step they take, such as fashion designer Kaye Morales.
“With all the emerging talents in the fashion industry, being a woman in 2017 means pushing myself harder,” says Morales.
Progressive and fashion-forward, Morales has grown to become one of Manila’s youngest and hottest streetwear designers. Her latest collection, Identity, broke through the gender-binary with pieces that were adaptable to people of all genders and body types. Since its launch in December 2016, Identity has become a critical and commercial success.
“This is my revolution of self, my freedom,” Morales shares, as she looks at Identity’s success. “It is a spectrum of emotions and experiences that I want to express.”
Morales came out about her sexuality in 2015 and expressed a desire in making the fashion industry a welcoming place for people of all genders and sexual orientations. As a part owner of LGBT nightclub, Nectar, Morales launched Girl Nation – an event she hosts every Tuesday night for lesbian and queer women alike. Her efforts have cemented her place as an icon in the local LGBT community.
“Ngayon lang nagkaron ng ganito sa Manila and my main goal is to build relationships within the community para maging closer yung members ng LGBT,” says Morales. “That’s my main goal.”
Morales is currently hard at work, working on her next collection, Vomit. Away from the design studio, Morales is a dedicated triathlete and is training for her next triathlon.
“I believe that to be able to cope up with the physical and mental requirements that my job requires, I need to stay fit and healthy,” she shares. “Being a woman in 2017 is being a woman who takes control of her life and future.”
If there’s anything that truly sets Kaye Morales apart from her peers, is her ability to embrace the experiences of all women and to channel that into all of the work she does. Whether, it’s in the design studio, on the track, on in a club, her work inspires people to be themselves in the face of a world on the cusp of acceptance.
