On International Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV), an online film brings to the fore the resourcefulness and imagination of Filipino LGBTQ+ youth and their pursuit of beauty and self-expression through clothing and fashion.

‘Curtain Couture’, is the latest campaign from Philippine fashion brand Bench that tackles LGBTQ+ themes. The film celebrates inclusivity, creativity, imagination, and the freedom to express oneself freely.

Still shot of the film featuring LGBTQ+ youth expressing their identity using towels, curtains, and bed sheets. The video may be viewed here.

The film features real LGBTQ+ youth showing off their self-styled elaborate outfits, set on a hundred-year-old folk song, ‘Mariposa Bella’ (Beautiful Butterfly), that describes the grace of a Filipino woman. Updated with an electronic synth beat, its lyrics gain new meaning and narrate the metamorphosis of today's LGBTQ youth.

“As a local brand, we have always stood for Filipino creativity and diversity. With this campaign, we are putting the spotlight on the resourcefulness and imagination of the LGBTQ+ community, told through the stories of countless teens who have, once in their lives, tried making clothes out of anything that’s available,” said Ben Chan, founder of Suyen Corporation.

The film hinged on the common behaviour amongst Filipino kids to play dress up. But, while boys who dress up like their dads, or girls who dress up like their moms are traditionally acceptable, most LGBTQ kids who dress outside of gender norms are still frowned upon by the Philippines’ conservative Catholic majority.

It’s through expressing ourselves at a young age that allows us to be more confident in who we are. Self-expression should be celebrated, from the clothes we wear to how we decide to wear it.

“This campaign is about the stories of many of us growing up, inspiring us to always be our own kind of beautiful,” added Ben.