The fashion community gathered on May 30 and 31 for one of the Kingdom's longest-running fashion events, the bi-annual Phnom Penh Designers Week, held in Salon One at the Rosewood Phnom Penh, to witness the Spring and Summer collections.

This edition of Phnom Penh Designers Week centred around the compelling theme of “Fragile Heritage”, with influential fashion brands showcasing their latest collections.

The concept encouraged designers to foreground heritage within their fashion narratives, acting as a counter-movement against the increasing homogenisation of global fashion trends.

The womenswear night on May 30 featured collections from A.N.D, ESSK, SCT and Alfredo Vaez, offering a diverse range from everyday wear to striking evening gowns.

Models walk on runway at PPDW Spring Summer 2025 at Salon One Rosewood Phnom Penh on May 30-31. Supplied

From pastel pink, floral, light blue and green, to darker shades, the runway was graced by former beauty queens, local and expat models, and influencers.

The show was opened by singer and model Nikki Nikki, who called out: “Thank you Drewe Taylor Designs for having me close and ESSK for having me open your show!”

On May 31, although the day was billed as menswear, the shows from Ambre Men, Drewe Taylor Designs and Don Protasio weren't entirely masculine.

Some feminine outfits were shown, ranging from bright pink to neon green and see-through styles.

Ke Suonsophea founded Phnom Penh Designers Week in 2013 with Filipino fashion designer Don Protasio, who has served as its creative director and driving force ever since. Under his guidance, the bi-annual show has become a vital platform for local and international fashion figures.

His guidance has made the bi-annual show a vital platform for local and international fashion figures.

One of the models, Chan Kongka, who sat in the front row to cheer on the models on the runway, developed her career through Phnom Penh Designers Week several years ago. She has always felt it a homecoming to attend this fashion event.

“I came to participate in the Phnom Penh Designers Week Spring/Summer 2025, a major fashion show in Cambodia,” said Kongka, the winner of the first season of Cambodia's Next Top Model in 2015, who has been in the fashion industry for over a decade.

“I don't know about other fashion events, but for this event, I have always felt really happy to attend, to meet everyone whose faces are familiar. I know almost everyone here,” she said.

She still feels the thrill of seeing creative and extraordinary work on the runway.

“For those who love fashion, there is a feeling that it's wow! It's unique. For those who like simple clothes for everyday use, who don't like unusual things, they will definitely feel like, 'Oh, what's so strange? How can I look at it?' Yes, they definitely feel that way, and they may also think, ‘How crazy’,” she added.

The local fashion industry has grown in recent years, with more fashion design schools and emerging young fashion designers, yet the still remains small.

Kongka noted this and would like to raise awareness about the importance of fashion in the Kingdom.

“If we look at the word 'fashion', it’s not understood by everyone. Fashion is the art of designing clothes, accessories, and shoes, etc. So every design is definitely, we need new ideas for wearing it, especially for fashion shows,” she explained.

“When we look at fashion shows, do you all see it as unique? It's different from what we've seen or how people dress every day. And this is the purpose of designers and organisers.

“Fashion designers always tries to be creative and attractive from season to season, so the designer is very hardworking. His creative ideas must be beyond what we have seen in everyday life.

“That's why we see so-called layering or adding jewellery on jewellery, shoes in different ways, etc., to attract attention and show his new creative ideas,” she continued.

The prestigious event was produced by Fashion Lab, in collaboration with the Rosewood Phnom Penh, Minerva TV, Sovrin Magazine, and the Phnom Penh Post.