The future of fashion is organic

MANILA, Philippines – Nowadays, people are more conscious of whether they are buying something potentially harmful to the environment or not.

In the fashion industry, a number of well-known international brands have hopped on the green bandwagon and created a more organic line of merchandise. 

Here in the Philippines, we have a variety of eco-friendly methods which our designers and labels are incorporating into their product development. One such label is Tan-Gan.

“Everything we create has to be sustainable,” says Jessica Tan-Gan, scion to designer Lulu Tan-Gan. “We began our indigenous couture line as an advocacy to promote our weaving industry and keep our heritage and crafts alive. Everything we create is carefully crafted by hand in order to keep our carbon footprint low. We don’t use electricity to create our knitwear.”

She adds, “Our indigenous couture pieces are all hand loomed, hand beaded, and hand dyed.”

Recycling and upcycling are also popular green methods. Studio Bohemia, for instance, the artist workshop of Merce and Patrick Layog that creates home décor, sculptures, and handmade accessories, works frequently with discarded computer parts, glass bottles, and broken stained glass windows.

For moulds, they re-use plastic soda bottles and used plastic containers and cardboard boxes. Their sanding and polishing machines are even repurposed from old washing machines. 

Taking all this into consideration, BusinessWorld’s High Life Magazine (October-November 2012 issue) decided to produce a shoot that would feature organic, Philippine-made fashion into a futuristic-inspired shoot, a symbol that going green is the wave of the future. 

Stockists

1. AC+632
2/F Filipino Zone, Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center, Makati City
Landline: (02) 758-2564
Email: ac632@pldtdsl.net

2. Albert Andrada
Mobile: 0917-4541234
Email: albertdxb@yahoo.com

3. Bowery
310 La Fuerza Plaza, 2241 Don Chino Roces Avenue, Makati City
Contact numbers: (02) 474-8968; 0917-5226246

4. Dita Sandico-Ong
35 Wilson St., Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila
Landline: (02) 726-5102

5. Firma
G/F Greenbelt 3, Makati Avenue corner Esperanza Street, Ayala Center, Makati City
Landline: (02) 757-4009
Email: firma2@vasia.com

6. Janylin
G/F Glorietta 5, Ayala Center, Makati City

7. Kermit Tesoro
Email: info@kermittesoro.com
Contact number: +63932-8872207

8. Pristine de Guzman
Mobile: 0922-8165416
Email: pristinedeguzman@ymail.com

9. Ronaldo Arnaldo
Mobile: 0917-5259823

10. Schu
G/F Glorietta 3, Ayala Center, Makati City

11. Studio Bohemia
24 Aguinaldo St., BF Homes Paranaque
Landline: (02) 809-1075
Mobile: 0919-2055555

12. Tan-Gan
2/F Filipino Zone, Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center, Makati City
Twitter: @tan_gan

Photography by Lilen Uy (www.lilenuy.com). Fashion styling by Guada Reyes (www.onegoodeyeconcepts.com). Makeup styling by Michelle Arcilla (www.michellearcilla.com). Hair styling by Cristina Cacnio (www.cristinacacnio.com). Modeled by Alexia Barton (http://www.alexiabarton-website.com). Shot on location at the LEED-approved Zuellig Building prior to its inauguration. 

Guada Reyes (www.onegoodeyeconcepts.com) is a fashion stylist, consultant, and costume designer. Viewing fashion as art, she aims to exhibit images with a twist featuring a mash-up of wearable and fashion-forward pieces by our country’s talent. See what else catches her eye at her blog, An Eye for An Eye (www.toeyefor.wordpress.com).