When I received the invitation to be part of MoCAF 2026 XTN. I wasn't sure how Armore fit. MoCAF is the Modern and Contemporary Art Festival. Like a child, still learning and crystallizing identity, while at the same time ironically already having a strong sense of self, I had the sense that Armore belonged in a space where art collectors, curators, and other art lovers would converge. After all, fashion is craft. And the same things we appreciate in art - color, composition, skill, narrative, and the way it makes you feel, can also be found in the garments we wear.
With Armore, the Elevare collection was designed carefully, deliberately, and with intention. For most brands, fabric is selected to match the sketch. With Armore, I began with the decision to use only natural fabric. It was something I wasn't willing to compromise on. Even when the early samples came out and the silhouette didn't look the way I thought it would. So I actually have several samples of long-sleeved shirts in different kinds of white fabric, all in pursuit of the perfect one.
And it's not just the long-sleeved shirt. The parka has 3 earlier versions. For the poised little dress, the zipper was originally at the back. But I needed help zipping it down. So I thought let's put it in front instead. And I loved it so it became a design element that runs through many pieces in the collection. Many more decisions like this went into individual pieces and the collection as a whole.
While thinking about joining MoCAF, I realized that what I was sitting with was a feeling of pretentiousness - the sense that being in an art fair was somehow a declaration that Elevare is art, worn. But it's not that at all. It's about craftsmanship - the intention, the dedication to quality, the clean workmanship that can only be acquired by years of experience. The comparison isn't with art - it's with worn things passed down like fine watches or jewelry because they mean something to the original owner. And I understood that MoCAF XN is a platform for artisans and makers to show their craft alongside art.
So in the end I gratefully accepted the invitation because I proudly stand by Armore's craftsmanship. And who knows, because we have classic pieces that are built to last, we might find women finding the pieces that they want to pass on to their daughters.
We'll be at MoCAF 2026 this July 3-5, 2026 at the Marquis Events Place in BGC.
Come find your first Armore piece.
