Sustainable fashion advocate urges young designers to embrace circular practices
Sustainable fashion advocate and My Closet Manager founder Genevieve Jimenez-Yalung urged young designers to adopt circularity in their work, stressing that sustainability should be at the center of the industry’s future.
Speaking before Fashion Design and Merchandising students at De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, Jimenez-Yalung, who has more than 25 years of experience in luxury and retail, warned that fashion is one of the world’s most polluting industries.
The sector is valued at $1.7 trillion globally and $1.7 million locally, with production rising 400 percent since 2000 and employing more than 300 million people. It produces 90 million tons of textile waste annually and accounts for 10 percent of global carbon emissions.
“Fashion impacts climate change, habitat destruction, resource depletion, animal welfare, water and air pollution, food insecurity, and even human rights,” Jimenez-Yalung said. “Sustainable fashion is a responsibility for all of us.”
She outlined three key points: ethically made clothes, environmentally friendly processes, and reduced waste. She stressed the importance of circularity—designing for longevity, reuse, and recycling—as a way to minimize waste and extend the lifespan of clothing.
Quoting designer Vivienne Westwood, Jimenez-Yalung said, “Buy less, choose well, make it last.” She added that responsible consumption should replace an excess-driven mindset.
A self-proclaimed “fashion shopaholic and hoarder,” Jimenez-Yalung promotes circular fashion through My Closet Manager, which helps clients declutter, recycle, and repurpose items, converting past luxury purchases into cash.
She said the Philippines is slowly becoming more receptive to sustainable fashion, with Gen Z consumers leading the shift. Their preference for eco-friendly products and acceptance of second-hand or “ukay-ukay” culture, she said, provide a foundation for change.
Government agencies and local brands are also promoting eco-friendly alternatives, but challenges remain. “Sustainability can be expensive, and it is not always the popular choice,” Jimenez-Yalung said, citing fast fashion’s dominance due to affordability.
She pointed to abaca, piña, and bamboo as eco-friendly textile options and urged designers to support indigenous materials and local artisans aligned with slow fashion principles. “As long as you are committed to your vision, you will find many options to lessen costs,” she said.
Jimenez-Yalung encouraged students to create versatile pieces, use low-impact materials, and explore innovations such as virtual avatars and digital clothing. “It is okay to challenge the status quo—it is okay to be the catalyst of change,” she said. “The future of fashion is you.”
She was named one of the ICONS of IMPACT 2025 by Pinay Girl Boss Community for her work in sustainable fashion. Her career has included leadership roles in advertising, beauty, and luxury, where she helped grow brands such as Levi Strauss, Shiseido, and Tiffany & Co.
