The Stunning Style Evolution of BINI Over the Years

Fashion and music have always been intertwined, given how significant of a role the former plays in an artist’s image and aesthetic. Just as how any musician hones and evolves their sound over the years, their fashion evolves along with it.

In the Philippine music scene, one group of artists who have managed to reflect the changing trends and patterns of fashion over the years is the nation’s very own girl group, BINI.

From their early days as trainees in ABS-CBN’s Star Hunt Academy to their breakthrough success in the present day as chart-topping musicians and style icons in the mainstream, the group has demonstrated a ton of memorable looks that accurately channel their vibrant yet distinct personalities. Having worked with their longtime stylist, Ica Villanueva, for most of their career, the changing nature of their style and fashion sense has mirrored their journey and eventual breakthrough in the industry. In several ways, their style has both matured over time and bloomed, showcasing how they’ve found their niche as rising style icons to several Filipinos who look up to them.

Here, Billboard Philippines highlights BINI’s most noteworthy looks from 2019 to the present day — encompassing some of their most memorable outfits that subtly signify their evolution in sound, artistry, and aesthetics over time.

2019 – 2020

Album/Era: Star Hunt Academy
Signature Items: Plains, prints, black-and-red checkered pants, and a determination to make it on the scene

Upon their debut on ABS-CBN’s Star Hunt Academy, the members of BINI were still fresh-faced and new to the music scene, yet they managed to win over the hearts of several Filipinos in a near instant.

During their early days, the group embraced a more laid-back approach to fashion, blending more comfortable and relaxed pieces with dainty and feminine elements that never shied away from showcasing their girly side. Though they embraced a more feminine side of fashion, nothing stopped them from playing around with darker colors and Doc Martens boots that exemplified an edgier, if not grittier approach that showcased their versatility.

Though all members of BINI stayed busy honing their skills at Star Hunt Academy’s training grounds, each member was still able to play around with their sense of style in various photoshoots that were meant to highlight their unique and individual personas.

2020

Album/Era: Pre-Debut (“Da Coconut Nut”)
Signature Items: Daisy Bloom Hair Pins, Tropical Yellow Prints, Teal Hues, and uniformed dark hair

With the formation of BINI now official, the group began their promotional tour with pre-debut pictorials that showcased a revamped yet uniform-like image for the group. True to the nature of their pre-debut song, “Da Coconut Nut,” each member of the group embraced their girly sides with a touch of tropical-infused prints.

It may have been a far cry from the more defined summer-y fashion of their “Pantropiko” era later on, yet it was still very much playful and true to the girl-next-door branding that they managed to cultivate over the years. Even their chosen hairstyles were a bit more simple, with most of them embracing a cleaner look that showcased their fresh-faced nature on the scene, which was further accentuated by the striking display of a matching hair clip of BINI’s signature flower logo.

2021

Album/Era: Born To Win
Signature Items: Black Lace, Gold Chains, and Ruffled Tops

In one of the concept photoshoots for their debut album Born To Win, all eight members of BINI wore distinct gowns that were perfectly attuned to their personalities. The mix of sheer, floral, and lace elements signified the unabashed embrace of their feminine qualities — a trait that fits their proudly Filipina aesthetic. Still that didn’t stop the group from embracing a more striking display of colors, whether it was their Barbie pink display of custom, matching outfits by Black Code Manila, or the jet-black ensembles that they wore for the group’s debut album cover.

Their most memorable articles of clothing from their Born To Win era combined monochrome pairings, boho chic, and a business look all together that meant serious business for the group. Though their ensembles were accentuated by a touch of gold jewelry and set of chains, it makes for a distinct look that emphasized their evolving nature into maturity, which already differed significantly from their days at Star Hunt Academy.

2022

Album/Era: Feel Good
Signature Items: Hot Pink Anything, Patent Leather, Glossy, Laminated Boots, Mikha’s Jet-Black hair, and Maloi’s micro-bangs

For the official cover art of their second studio album Feel Good, the members of BINI looked pretty in pink. Their playful hairstyles embodied their high-spirited nature, while the little accents of white embedded into their outfits offered a pleasant contrast to the bursts of pink all around. Yet that didn’t stop the group from showcasing an edgier side with their sporty and stylish ensembles, as seen from both their POPstival 2022 appearance, as well as the concept photos of their synth-pop hit “Strings.”

Beyond a welcome embrace for various shades of pink and red, the group also began to don more branded statement pieces, such as Colet’s printed set of Off-White pants, Maloi’s Balenciaga leggings, or Mikha’s Off-White bomber jacket. Yet despite their branded nature, it never took away from the rock-star spirit of the grou’s members — rather, it amplified them.

2023

Album/Era: “Karera” and “Pantropiko”
Signature Items: A plethora of lace and ribbons, white tassels, Mikha’s fiery red hair, Gwen’s distinct bob, and silver bedouin coins

By 2023, BINI began to explore a variety of more elegant and elevated set of looks that showcased their glamorous side even more. In a celebratory pictorial for their second anniversary as a group, the group looked absolutely stunning in their custom outfits by Steph Verano and Black Code Manila, while their appearance in P-Pop Con Manila 2023 showed them in custom futuristic-inspired outfits designed by Marian Zara.

As part of their “Karera” concept photo series, BINI were a vision in white in custom outfits by Herwin Cardoza. It was during this era of their career that their music began to generate a widespread appeal with the mainstream audience and marked the defining moment wherein the girl group began to embrace their unique signature qualities –– shaping their identity as they moved forward

In the group’s concept photos for their surprise smash-hit “Pantropiko,” the girls embraced the tropical themes of the track with their flirty and feminine sides by incorporating elements of lace and ribbons into their outfits. From this point onwards, Gwen’s chic bob cut, Maloi’s distinctive bangs, and Mikha’s fiery red hair became a staple part of their looks — solidifying their impact as style icons beyond mere outfits.

2024

Album/Era: Talaarawan, BINIVerse, and “Cherry On Top”
Signature Items: A whole lot of denim, Y2K-inspired fits, Knit-crochet hats, and Gentlemonster eyewear

With BINI now finding mainstream success in 2024, the group has embraced their signature style that has now been replicated by thousands of their blooms across the nation. In what may be their most distinct year yet, they have embraced a vibrant blend of Y2K influences, feminine charm, and playful individuality. They showcase a keen eye for eclectic and customized outfits — often incorporating elements like denim, lace, and unique textures into each part of their outfits,

In one of their most stunning ensembles to date, the group looked radiant in a colorful display of custom outfits from Ha.Mu clothing for their early concept photoshoot for “Salamin, Salamin,” while their denim-clad ensembles from Shein embraced the coming-of-age, Y2K bubblegum pop energy of the Talaarawan extended play even further. For Billboard Philippines‘ inaugural Women in Music celebration, the beloved P-pop group wore denim-clad outfits by Marian Zara that elevated the look even further.

Their string of elevated looks didn’t stop there, though; on the third night of their BINIverse concert series, the group wore outfits customized for them, designed by Ehrran Montoya. In full glamour, these stunning sets of clothing reflected just how far they’ve come in such a short amount of time, signifying the fiercely feminine energy that they were able to express throughout the show. For their “Cherry On Top” concept photos, BINI took over ‘Cherry Town’ in a stylish blend of cherry red, pink, and white outfit colorways.

Such looks represented the sweet and irresistible elements of the track, with each hue representing their charm and lovely nature as the nation’s beloved girl group. Dressed in apparel from Area Clothing, Marian Zara, and Miu Miu, these outfits are poised to become a staple in their illustrious wardrobe collection.