Michelle Lim's indigenous, eco-friendly couture

MANILA, Philippines - Designer Michelle Varela-Lim has gone through the ups and downs of the fickle-minded Philippine fashion industry but her philosophy has always been to push for first-rate, attractively priced designs because her discriminating clientele will always pay a premium for high quality and excellence.

It’s Lim’s steady strategy of maintaining quality and service that has bestowed her business with such enviable staying power. Today, her luxury ready-to-wear line, which incorporates indigenous fabrics and accents, has crossed borders and expanded to include an international market.

“Filipinos have become practical buyers,” Lim says. “We are positioning ourselves as an alternative to branded designers or high-end clothes. We’ve noticed that Filipinas cannot attend a party without looking dressed-up; that’s how vain we are. That’s why we offer them value for money and the best quality. It’s reachable and convenient.” More impressive is her vision of keeping her store Okasyon a strong Filipino brand with a mission of promoting “eco-friendly couture.”

Twelve years of being in the business has made Lim an expert, with her finger on the pulse of her market. “I’m not just contented with what’s available on the market,” she says. “Part of that is utilizing indigenous fabrics, which we really want young people to appreciate. Research plays an important role in my creative process; it’s what makes my designs continually evolving. I’m not driven by trends but by ensuring my designs remain timeless.”

What distinguishes her collections is her inventive use of indigenous fabrics. And far from being too exotic or clichéd, her works have a very global appeal, the result of being an entrepreneur first and a handicraft exporter second. “My passion for exports has always been there. As a fashion designer, the challenge is how to hit the global export industry and the RTW market.”

Her first foray into fashion was through Rustan’s, under the label Kimona. Back then, her creations were all Filipiniana. At that time, she did a lot of traveling to source her materials, brought them back to Manila, and sold them at the high-end department store.

“Basically, Philippine fabrics and Filipino fashion have not reached the international level yet, except for a few. I want to see our piña and indigenous fabrics in the branded stores and boutiques abroad. Filipino weavers are very skilled and talented and these fabrics, when translated into luxewear, can actually be practical, wearable, and cost-efficient.”

“Indigenous” may be the operative term in her designs, yet Lim also aims to convey luxury that complements rather than confines a woman’s natural shape. “Luxewear is a general term,” Lim says. “When a woman enters a room, she will be the center of attention. When she starts walking, all eyes are on her. That’s the feeling I want to create: people can’t stop looking at her, not for what she’s wearing, but for the confidence she radiates.”

As Lim prepares for Philippine Fashion Week, she remains focused on luxury ready-to-wear that is globally appealing. Her forthcoming collection can be summed up in three words: glamorous, timeless, and classic.

Michelle Lim will show her “Luxe Rocks” collection at Philippine Fashion Week on Saturday, May 30, 5:30 p.m. at SMX Convention Center Function Rooms 2 and 3. The collection will be available at Okasyon branches located at Level 1 Padre Faura Wing, Robinsons Place; The Shops, Greenhills Shopping Center; Level 2, Festival Mall; Level 3 East Wing, Robinsons Galleria; Level 3, Glorietta 5; and soon to open at Eastwood Mall.