That there is a severe shortage of classrooms in the country is a sad reality that needs to be addressed. And the government simply cannot do it alone. It was towards this end that a social enterprise aimed towards the building of public school classrooms was formed by GenerationHOPE founder and president Nanette Medved-Po, who graduated with degrees in Finance and Entrepreneurship from Babson College in Boston.
From the initial success of Hope in a Bottle Purified Drinking Water—the full profits of which go towards the advocacy, wherein 37 classrooms have already been built—the team realized the growing interest among Filipinos in buying socially and environmentally responsible brands.
Thus, as an offshoot, Hope in a Shirt was born. But these aren’t just any ordinary shirts: they are unbelievably soft custom printed shirts made from 100 percent recycled plastic bottles. These shirts became an instant hit among Nanette’s friends and soon word spread.
Taking this concept further, Medved-Po turned to Solenn Heussaf with the idea of creating custom designs for an exclusive Hope in a Shirt collection. With the help from the good guys at Globis, Inc., every one of Heussaf’s brush and pencil strokes were transformed into high quality textile prints —resulting in shirts that are unique, artsy, and stylish.
And for yet another first, the collection will be sold in a special Hope-branded vending machine—an idea inspired by New York fashion week. The result is a disruptive and desirable product that celebrates art, innovative sustainability, and a worthwhile cause.
Hope vendo will pop up in three surprise locations, for only two to three days each. Just 200 shirts will be produced and sold, so excited shoppers can keep tabs on Hope’s Facebook and Instagram pages to find out where they’ll pop up. Thereafter, the shirts will be available exclusively through Zalora.