Trends come and go almost weekly — in the form of a new dance craze or perhaps something on the menu of your favorite cafe — each following a natural lifespan once it catches on and goes viral. And while keeping up with trends is fun, sticking to your authentic self has its merits, too, and often leads to lasting impact. That’s exactly how Raxenne Maniquiz held her captive audience, both in the Philippines and around the world.
Raxenne — a Young Gun awardee, graphic designer, and illustrator from the Philippines who has worked with global brands like Adobe, Assouline, Bloomberg, Dr. Martens, Doubleday, L’Occitane, M.A.C. Cosmetics, and Nike — took the adobo LIA Masterclass on Creativity stage to share how she transitioned from studio work to a successful freelance career by staying true to her roots.
The necessity of a studio foundation
Raxenne, an Advertising graduate from the University of Santo Tomas, began her professional career in design firms like Plus63. Her decade of professional growth was built on four job changes and the structured environment of such companies.
These firms provided a training ground where Raxenne developed her personal taste and gained the confidence required for high-stakes projects.
“The years in the studio taught me so much. I developed my taste, and I became more confident,” she said.
Authenticity still beats virality
Later in her career, Raxenne found her signature style by moving away from popular global trends. At the time, Monstera leaves were the craze in the design community, but instead of following that direction, she focused on endemic Philippine plants like the Rafflesia.
“During these years, I became known for endemic flora. When everyone was drawing Monsteras and Bougainvilleas, I was drawing corpse flowers — the stinky ones — and creating distribution maps,” she said.
This transition involved deep research and scientific databases for her distribution maps, which eventually caught the attention of the National Museum of Natural History.
Navigating the global stage
Nike may be one of the world’s largest brands, but Raxenne captured its attention immediately. This was after she resigned from her studio job. At the time, a brand manager reached out to her on social media to commission artwork for the brand’s first Southeast Asian flagship store.
Although she was primarily known for botanical illustrations, the brand challenged her to apply that style to footwear by illustrating iconic Jordan sneakers alongside endemic Philippine orchids. To showcase Filipino pride, she utilized a palette of red, blue, and yellow. The illustration was featured as wallpaper within the store.
As a confessed non-sneakerhead, she was shocked to learn from friends that the shoes — and the packaging she designed — were reselling for as much as $20,000 on websites like StockX.
Expanding range beyond a signature style
Raxenne realized the need to expand her horizon. Soon enough, she moved beyond her signature flora style to illustrate more complex subjects, such as prehistoric evolution, animals, and diverse plant life, for international publishers. Represented by the UK-based illustration agency Handsome Frank, she collaborated with Henry Gee to publish The Wonder of Life on Earth.
“I learned that to stay in the game this long, you need to have range; you need to be flexible,” she said.
Just start
Despite being among the most celebrated illustrators in the country, Raxenne frames her success as a result of trial and error rather than sheer luck, acknowledging the effort and “nervous breakdowns” that paved the way.
She encourages young and aspiring creatives to start their own journey of self-discovery, noting that difficulty is what makes one’s final product something to be proud of.
“The important thing is to start. It won’t be easy. If it were, you wouldn’t produce work you can be genuinely proud of,” she said.
Raxenne’s journey from design studios to the global stage serves as a reminder that while trends may offer instant virality, true longevity is built on the courage to remain authentic.
By leaning into her Filipino roots and embracing her craft, she proved that success isn’t about following the viral trends, but about starting exactly where you are and growing with purpose.
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