After more than 60 years of honing Filipino fashion creatives, SLIM’s Fashion and Arts School has partnered with Benilde to preserve and honor the legacy of its founder, National Artist Salvacion Lim-Higgins, and strengthen the next generation of fashion creatives.
Sept. 4, the first day of the academic year, brought more than just fresh new faces, but also the announcement of Benilde’s custodianship of Higgin’s Fashion and Arts School–SLIM, as well as a collection of her work and other memorabilia, which were turned over to the Benilde Fashion Museum. This turnover marks an important milestone in the College’s history, especially for its Fashion Design and Merchandising (FDM) program and the Benilde’s Fashion Museum.
Bold new steps in fashion education
Both institutions, already known for forwarding the fashion industry, now combine their unique expertise on the subject. Notably, SLIM’s is known for their technical knowledge on garment construction, a gap in Benilde’s curriculum. In her interview with The Benildean, Ms. Christine Cheryl Benet gave further insight on how this absorption would enhance fashion education, “By having the different specialized courses accessible, students can choose to pursue further studies to enhance their skills or learn other areas of the creative industry they want to explore.”
This is aside from having ready access to the National Artist’s body of work, which she explains to be beneficial in instilling an appreciation for Filipino history and thus “continue the legacy of the best Filipino designers by understanding what is the true Filipino identity.”
Beyond filling in the gaps in its FDM curriculum, Benilde’s goal is to “contribute more holistically to the whole ecosystem of the Philippine Fashion Industry,” Ms. Benet explained.
She cites how diverse the human capital requirements of the industry are, ranging from college degree holders to artisans and actual makers. “On the other hand, Mark Higgins, the son of Salvacion Higgins, emphasized the importance of ensuring that an institution like Benilde will be able to carry on her mother’s legacy,” she ends.
Sewing in a New Chapter
As the College is set to celebrate 30 years of its FDM program, it is no coincidence that SLIM’s first classes under Benilde will officially begin in January 2026. Ms. Benet added that, “This dual milestone of the continuation of SLIM’s legacy and FDM’s three decades of innovation, reinforces Benilde’s role as a pioneer and leader in fashion education.”
The newly sewn alliance advocates for an even more inclusive environment, where Ms. Benet states that she sees the College as an avenue to make the Benildean fashion education more accessible to different sectors of our society.
These milestones are perfectly tailored to the Philippine Creative Industries Month in September, further highlighting Benilde's dedication to creativity and cultural identity on a national stage. Simultaneously affirming Benilde’s role as a vital custodian of Filipino artistry, ensuring that the legacy of Salvacion Lim-Higgins remains both celebrated and accessible to future generations.
By uniting academic innovation with cultural preservation, the College not only elevates fashion education but also strengthens the country’s creative ecosystem. In doing so, Benilde weaves itself more deeply into the fabric of national identity, carrying forward a vision where heritage and innovation walk hand in hand.
