In an era of The True Cost and the burgeoning brands selling ethically made apparel items, people are becoming more concerned about the way their clothes are manufactured.
“When you buy things and they’re made by young children who are not being paid properly or whose working times are not good, you kind of have second thoughts on why you’re buying all these expensive items when the people who are making them are not making much,” observes Susan Bautista-Afan, Central Fundraising director of ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation.
It goes without saying that there is a growing collective consciousness among consumers to make better choices that would benefit a larger cause, and it spills over the fashion industry. Bautista-Afan further notes that the younger lot are leading the pack of the more vigilant shoppers.
“I think the millennials and the Z generation are more conscious about the environment and about their being part of the sustainability in the world,” she opines.
“I think they do want to buy items, clothing, accessories from retailers that are not only conscious about making money but also about helping people and the environment around them.”
Global Japanese clothing brand Uniqlo aims to be one of those brands. Apart from its commitment to provide high-quality casual apparel, the fashion label says it’s also devoted to giving back to the community.
A fortunate partnership
In 2015, Uniqlo Philippines approached Bautista-Afan and her ALKFI team to ask for help in distributing lightly used clothes donated to Uniqlo stores nationwide. The donation came from the brand’s special recycling campaign called “10 Million Ways to HELP.”
However, ALKFI had a better idea. “The ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation gave us a great idea of upcycling the scrap fabric from our (pants) alteration service,” shares Uniqlo Philippines chief operations officer Katsumi Kubota.
The said pieces of fabric were previously thrown away as trash until Uniqlo and ALKFI signed a memorandum of agreement in October 2015 that would put the unusable scrap to good use and provide economic opportunity to disadvantaged women from families relocated by ALKFI to a community in Calauan, Laguna.
“Through the ‘Upcycling Project,’ we supply the fabric and they (ALKFI) have these talented women who make these nice beautiful bags,” says Kubota.
Uniqlo also donated sewing machines and provided technical support by bringing in their takumi (sewing experts) to teach the women how to neatly sew bags that pass Uniqlo’s standards.
Since the beginning of their operations in December last year, the women in Calauan have already made more than 300 bags from the 1000 initially planned.
Uniqlo buys back the upcycled denim tote bags for P220 each, which will then be distributed to consumers as novelty items during Uniqlo Philippines’ events.
The two partners are looking forward to selling these bags; however, the production depends on the scrap fabric Uniqlo can collect from its current 27 stores across the country. “We have to have more scrap pieces to be able to sell these bags. Which means we are still depending on how many denim jeans we can sell,” explains Kubota.
A great opportunity
Rebecca Paunalan, a 40-year-old mother of four, is one of the 30 women in Calauan who sews the scrap denim fabric into functional tote bags.
At present, Rebecca takes home P250 a day from the project, which according to her is a big financial help to her family. “It’s really beneficial for us especially in Calauan since the opportunities to earn there are limited,” she says in the vernacular.
Kubota is likewise pleased to be able to help the people ALKFI is helping. “Through our Upcycling Project, we hope to restore the dignity among people and the environment, even in a small way.”