Chemical brothers

The brothers Aztec and Popoy Barba have had all the right tongues wagging. Popoy won the 2002 Fashion Designers Council of the Philippines' (FDCP) Competition that earned him the Paris prize with his exquisite eggshell dress. Aztec, on the other hand, represented Gensan after competing at the first Urog Etnika Mindanao Young Designers Competition.

They both had their feet in the fashion puddle early on. They’ve always been grounded strongly in the arts, since their mother was the head of the School of Culture and Arts at the Philippine Women’s College in Davao. While finishing their fine arts degree, they started as costume designers of the now defunct PWC Teatro Dabawenyo. Both also worked as designers for local fashion houses Mirai for Aztec and Krisalis for Popoy. After working crazy hours, both decided to take it easy and that’s when their tandem truly began.

Today, Popoy and Aztec’s theater background is translated into their dramatic threads. Here they share how brotherhood and style come full circle.

Aztec Barba says

"We are very different individuals. In as much as we inspire each other, we have so much respect and acceptance for each other’s talent and creativity. Popoy is inclined towards the aesthetic side; while I’m a more technical person. Our tandem creates the balance between talent and business. Ours is definitely a sustainable collaboration."

"Realizing that our talent has been recognized and given the chance to speak for itself has been absolutely uplifting. We believe that our feat will inspire many designers outside Manila to give designing a try as well. In the recent Fashion Week, we were no longer called regional designers but designers from Davao. True enough, down south, it’s always up and about." – Aztec

"Popoy’s classic, I’m more edgy. In the end, we still meet halfway. It’s just a matter of celebrating our similarities rather than our differences." – Aztec

Popoy Barba says

"It has always been fun. We always liked what we’ve been doing – that’s why we’ve lasted this long. I’ve been around for 20 years and Aztec 13 years. And still counting.

As designing businessmen, innovating ideas and concepts has always enthused us both. Fact is, one has to keep with the tide. Exposure, travel and constant collaboration put us on the road. Add to that the challenging part of translating runway to reality, all this keeps us abreast of the demanding trade of fashion and design."

"We are in the same environment, working on the same goal. To keep us afloat, we have to swim together. As to our design concepts, we never fail to confer and assess." – Popoy