Christmas in Cebu usually comes in red and green. This year, it arrives in white.
At SM J Mall’s Christmas launch on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026, Japanese folklore set the scene for the season’s festivities, with the tenko, a celestial fox spirit believed to possess great power and live for centuries, inspiring the visual theme. Often depicted as a woman, the tenko carries an otherworldly air, echoed in a white gown by Cebu fashion visionary Cary Santiago.
Voluminous and covered in feather-like textures that flow into a sculptural skirt, the creation lends the mythical figure a sense of ethereal elegance, its white palette evoking the purity and quiet wonder of Christmas.
The scene around her completes the picture. Performers’ red sashes and Japanese-inspired parasols frame the look, while pink blossoms line the set and golden Christmas lights glow overhead. A towering white fox presides over it all.
That fox is Kitsune, the centerpiece of Kitsune’s Christmas Grove, an installation inspired by the magic of wishes coming true. Santiago’s gown brings the folklore to life, giving the mythical figure a form through fashion and weaving its story into the holiday celebration.
In Japan, stories of kitsune, or fox spirits, have been passed down through generations. Folklore portrays them as both mischievous shape-shifters capable of taking human form and sacred messengers associated with divine beings. Their mysterious nature makes them fitting figures for a celebration that blends Japanese tradition with the wonder of Christmas.
The season’s Japanese touches don’t stop at the launch. On Dec. 19, the Fashion Institute of Design Cebu will present Couture in Motion: Holiday Fashion Show, another showcase of fashion and creativity for the festive season. S