Passion to Runway: Bessie Besana and the Rise of Filipinxt

Bessie Besana shares his story from pursuing fashion in his 30s to founding Filipinxt.

Words Patricia Angela Moslares
Photos Bessie Besana & Filipinxt
April 15, 2025

Bessie Besana, a 40-year-old Filipino fashion designer, initially pursued civil engineering due to cultural views favoring financial stability over the arts. After eight years in the corporate world, he shifted to fashion, encouraged by designer friends who saw his talent. Today, he's known for his elegant formal wear and co-founded Filipinxt, a New York-based group that has been showcasing Filipino designers on NYC runways since 2024.

Glimpses of fashion

Besana was nine when he first saw a wedding dress at his aunt’s wedding—he was captivated by the bride’s gown and by the flower girl dresses his cousins wore. Still, he credits beauty pageants as the true spark for his passion for fashion, sharing, “What opened my mind into the fashion world is beauty pageants, and my favorite part of a beauty pageant is the evening gown.”

While his family wasn’t particularly interested in high fashion, Bessie’s grandfather owned a small boutique in Manila, reselling items sourced from Divisoria. Surrounded by shoes and dresses from a young age, Bessie often observed quietly. As a boy, he felt he wasn’t expected—or even allowed—to engage with such things, so he admired them from a distance.

From corporate to fashion

At 29, Bessie was living comfortably as an expat in Hong Kong. But as he approached his 30s, he realized he didn’t want to look back with regret for not pursuing his true passion. So, he packed his bags and returned to the Philippines to chase a lifelong dream—fashion.

In 2015, Bessie enrolled at Slim’s Fashion and Arts School and set a personal deadline: if he couldn’t figure out how to start a fashion business within two years, he’d return to his corporate career. But just a year in, he began to find his footing in the industry. He launched his business in 2016, though it took another two years to achieve financial stability. His talent continued to grow, and in 2023, Bessie had the honor of designing Pia Wurtzbach’s stunning bridal gown for her beach wedding.

Bessie wasn’t afraid to leap. With an iron will and unwavering self-belief, he carved his path. As he put it, “I came from humble beginnings. If I don't make it happen, then nobody's going to make it happen for me. In a way, I kind of push myself to be successful in what I do because I don't have a choice.”

Founding Filipinxt

In pursuit of recognition in New York, Bessie moved to the United States and began searching for a producer to host his fashion show. After months of challenges, he eventually met Filipino-American entrepreneur Rob Mallari-D’Auria. Rather than simply sponsoring the event, Rob proposed a partnership. In November 2023, they officially incorporated in New York and launched their show: Filipinxt.

The name Filipinxt combines Filipino, Filipina, Filipinx, and next, reflecting their mission to spotlight the future of Filipino talent. They debuted their first show in May 2024, and have since graced the runways of New York Fashion Week (NYFW), presenting their Spring/Summer 2025 collection in September 2024 and their landmark Fall/Winter 2025 show in February 2025—marking their official inclusion in the NYFW calendar.

Global recognition

Besana has always believed in the greatness of Filipino talent, but he feels much of it remains underrecognized on the global stage. “When you talk about Filipinos abroad, the first thing that comes to mind is that Filipinos are good in the medical field, which is correct,” he said. “But I think we are not yet acknowledged in other fields, such as fashion or the arts.” 

With Filipinxt, Bessie aims to put Filipino designers firmly on the global fashion map. “Filipinxt is an avenue, a platform. At the end of the day, our goal is for Filipinos to succeed,” he emphasized.

Filipinxt remains an active participant in New York Fashion Week. Their next show is set for September 2025, potentially followed by a two-day market, giving more Filipinos the opportunity to directly support and purchase from Filipino designers.