my fashion statement

 while this is my first attempt at showing off what i believe in, on the runway, it is definitely not the first in my attempts to show i care about my planet.  my love for the environment is the fuel that propels me to create.  the truth is, my insatiable passion for the environment and my driving motivation to bring about real, positive change, drove me to join this fashion show:  Designer's Statement.  

i felt that if i wanted to have a broad impact as an individual, i would need to break out of my local confines and reach out to people in new ways.

my aim is to show that what we wear has a wide-ranging effect on the environment.  for me, it is not my love for fashion that made me passionate about the environment. rather, it is my passion for the environment that made me love fashion for its potential to create change.  what we wear to make us look good, should also make us feel good!

i have taken up the challenge of combining style with sustainability, and began a trek down a path to a more fulfilling lifestyle.  it is about incorporationg more environmentally and socially responsible principles and practices throughout the manufacturing process and life cycle of the product - from materials to construction to design to how i care for my clothes and what i do with them when i do not want them any longer.  by creating this fashion line, i know that my style is no longer in conflict with the way i wanted to live my life.  i could finally look good, feel good and do good - simultaneously:  a win-win-win situation!

i hope what i have created will not only help people see style in a new light but also inspire them to make a difference.  so i dedicate this line of bags, clothing and accessories to everyone who cares about their mother and want to look good while doing better.

may we all lead by example and do so in style!

nb:
clothes are made from 100% upcycled used silk and satin, embroidered and sewn with loving care by the rural women of my beloved hometown, baao.
bags are made from fabrics handwoven using recycled threads, by rural women of buhi, embroidered and pieced together by the rural women of baao, with handles of patent leather, attached by artisans in pili.
accessories are made from used and discarded buttons and fabrics, made by out of school youth of baao.
each piece of F.A.R.M. is a product of cooperation and creative unity.