MANILA, Philippines – Reuse, reduce, recycle” has long been the mantra of the pro-earth movement. Easy to say and remember, but not quite as easy to do. But as we become more entrenched in the global movement towards a cleaner, greener earth, we find that there are more and more ways to affect sustainable living. Shopping for local products, for one, is a legit way of helping the earth. By purchasing locally-produced goods, shoppers lessen their carbon footprint, minimizing the environment-wrecking effects of air fuel and added packaging imported goods entail. More so if the materials used are also locally-produced.
Equating pro-earth purchasing power with Pinoy pride is easily the concept behind the Green Line, the Ayala Malls’ collaboration with Pinoy designers in the Filipino Zone of Greenbelt 5. As part of their Greenology campaign, the developer’s awareness campaign in response to the world’s call for sustainable living, Ayala asked the Filipino designers with boutiques in Greenbelt 5 and Glorietta to come up with clothing and accessories made out of eco-friendly materials. This limited edition Green Line will be available to the public from Sept 16 to 30 at the designers’ respective boutiques, and will be attached with special Green Line tags. Top local brands supporting the campaign include RTW stores Bayo and Folded & Hung in Glorietta, Aranaz, Arnel Papa, Barba, Bonne Bouche, Gaupo, Jun Escario, Myth, Azucar (formerly Paradi), Atelier Avatar, L Manila, Victoria Marin, Jurlique, Ana Rocha, Kate Torralba and Religioso.
Says Ayala Malls group vice president and COO Rowena Tomeldan, “We at Ayala Malls have explored ways to balance our environmental commitments with our customers’ need for a rewarding shopping experience. We’re celebrating “Greenology” through a series of earth-friendly events designed to remind everyone to take care of the environment. We urge all our merchants, shoppers, and supporters to help us make a difference for a sustainable future.”
Myth
Ruby Gan’s collective of hard-hitting Pinoy designers green lights the designs of Joel Escober and Randy Ortiz, who have both come up with pieces made out of piña, the locally-produced fiber that can be molded into structured dresses and tailored shirts. Veering away from the traditional use of piña for ternos, Joel Escober creates shift dresses with embroidery and flirty details such as piña fringes in the hem. Randy Ortiz provides for the menfolk with contemporary reincarnations of the barong.
Religioso
It’s a bit difficult to work with banana fiber for clothing. The unyielding material often yields pieces that are too stiff or too structured. Religioso’s banana fiber pieces, however, combat the standard. A dusky pink tube dress with accordion-like details at the hem looks very, very now and will look more appropriate in the cocktail circuit rather than in a Filipinana event.
Bonne Bouche
Bonne Bouche co-owners Michi-Calica Sotto and Emi Jorge are both staunch believers of the green movement. For the Green Line, Calica Sotto, who plans to come up with a more extensive eco-friendly collection later this year, has tops and dresses in natural fabric such as cotton, cotton linen and silk. These are not only forgiving to the earth but to the woman’s figure as well; silhouttes are loose and unstructured. Emi Jorge, designer of shoe line Solea, has come up with a new label called Zerozoo by Solea. This footwear line uses zero animal skin for the uppers and soles from recycled rubber. This was in line with her vision of creating fashionable eco-friendly item that don’t look it.
Victoria Marin
Known for their signature bangles, Victoria Marin’s Green Line contribution involve bracelets made out of recyclable resin and fibers. “Natural and recylable materials do not have to look cheap,” says Cebu-based designer Marin. “They can be durable too and last a long time.”
Atelier Avatar
Avatar’s art-from-trash accessories would have easily fitted into Mugatu’s (the fashion-fanatical baddie from Zoolander) Derelict line. Putting together discarded bottle caps, aluminum can rings, cut-up plastic bottles and rolled up magazine paper, Avatar has come up with colorful cuffs and necklaces that put the cheek into chic. The boutique also has necklaces made up of coconut husks, a very visible local material.
Arnel Papa
The sustainability in Arnel Papa’s pieces come from his abundant use of wood and locally-sourced natural stones. Sculptural bangles, chunky cocktail rings and sizeable necklaces make a dazzling, eco-chic statement.
Barba
Vic Barba prefers using natural fibers like cotton and linen, translating them into pieces that are “free and easy” and do not require zipper and button closures. He also incorporates organically-processed piña and nacre or mother-of-pearl details in his designs.
Bayo
The local casual brand makes a simple statement with statement tees portraying cartoonish illustrations of nature’s elements and sassy pro-environment phrases. The words “Free Hugs” alongside a depiction of a tree, or the recycle symbol scattered all over the shirt are examples.
Folded & Hung
Creating a “green” collection for the first time, Folded & Hung used raw materials free from any form of artificial coloring. Style is not sacrificed, however; the brand’s nude-colored jeans are fashioned with high waists, low pockets and skinny legs.
Jun Escario
Silk dresses colored with natural dyes and other pieces made up natural fabric make up Jun Escario’s collection for the Green Line collection. Notable pieces are an asymmetric cocktail dress and a short dress with an accordion-pleat trail.
Gaupo
Footwear made out of fabric, rather than leather, highlight Cesar Gaupo’s support for the Greenology campaign. Gaupo’s intricate, highly-desirable shoes prove that style and sustainability can go hand-in-hand.
L Manila
Lulu Tan Gan’s signature knit fashion has been sustainably upgraded with her inclusion of loose pieces made up of piña. Fashioned into ponchos, coats and tunics, the added embellishments of rhinestones and beads savvy up the predominantly white palette.
Aranaz
Aranaz has been using molded molded bag bodies made out of newspapers ‘80s, reveals Amina Aranaz, the proprietor of the chic bag boutique “Our brand also has had a long history of utilizing natural materials in our bag creations.” For their Green Line collection, the store offers molded clutch bags made of old rice sacks.
Azucar
Patrice Ramos-Diaz’s new store Azucar, shared with Salsatrends designer Arlene Sipat, also worked with natural fibers for Green Line. Most of her clothes are now made of pina or a blend of pina-abaca, pina-silk, and abaca-cotton.
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Celebrate Greenology’s earth-friendly philosophy through the following series of events promoting a green lifestyle: Eco Tote: Available at all Ayala Malls concierge; Eco Art: Aug. 28 to Sept. 11; Eco Dash: Sept. 13 and Green Line: Sept. 16 to 30.