Attracting luck through your clothes

MANILA, Philippines - Polka dots weren’t the only patterns people sported to attract good luck on New Year’s Eve.As she is unfailingly inundated with questions on what colors and textile patterns would be auspicious for the new year, international feng shui consultant Marites Allen has put her practical knowledge into a more accessible avenue and introduced last year the first fashion brand that incorporates feng shui principles into clothing design: Frigga.

Registered in London and in 27 European Union member countries as well as in several Asian countries, Frigga, which takes its name from a Norse goddess, is rooted in the concept of feng shui, which is living in harmony with the natural elements in the environment. “Just as feng shui is all about maneuvering the environment to suit our aspirations, this fashion line is about knowing what to wear and why we should wear them,” says Allen.

In conceptualizing and developing the line, Allen worked closely with textile designers in the UK then with Filipino designers in determining which patterns, colors, cuts and silhouettes would be luck enhancing. The result: a collection of ready-to-wear pieces, both for her and for him, that is easy to incorporate with any existing wardrobe and surprisingly only moderately boho looking. There are soft and ultra-comfortable kaftan blouses, flowy halterneck tops, and slim-cut pullovers that are great for daily wear, especially in Manila’s heat. Crisp-looking cotton polo tops and V-neck shirts in bright colors can appeal to preppy dressers while for a dressier evening, there is a sari-style mid-length dress that is forgiving to a woman’s figure — and is handy for attracting wealth and prosperity.

“In creating these designs, the Frigga team also kept in mind what would look stylish for the buyers,” Allen explains. “Regarding trends, we still looked more into what will work with the elements of the following year. For example, if the new year has a strong presence of wood in it, then silhouettes like long gowns, which bring to mind tall trees, would be good to wear.”

The Frigga collection has been categorized according to the kind of energy that a buyer wishes to attract. For those looking for love and romance for 2013, there are the breezy peony-print tunics in fire colors of red, pink and purple. Green and blue, meanwhile, signify growth both in income and personal abundance, and those who wish to do better in these areas can don on tops in these colors and which feature prints of mystic knots. Another auspicious symbol is the antahkarana. Not only slightly reminiscent of the geometric printed pant suits seen at Miu Miu’s fall 2012 runway, the antahkarana is also good for enhancing health, especially when done in soothing and nurturing earth tones.

“Wearing lucky clothing with symbols is nothing new,” Allen states. “Royal families have worn robes with their emblems and sigils for how many generations to reinforce their power.” Frigga is just a means for the less pedigreed to use power dressing, literally and figuratively, to their benefit.