By Thea Andrea C. Magueriano
Fashion may be fleeting and the industry wasteful, but times are changing. Amid all the chaos and the problems in our surroundings fashion steps up to help.
Stylish scraps (RIOtaso)
A play on the Tagalog word for scrap fabric, “retaso”, and the person behind it, Rio, the clothing line offers apparel made of fabric scraps.
“You see, the ugly side of the fashion industry was never taught in design school, ideas such as climate justice and unethical labor practices were never on the syllabus. The truth had to be learnt independently,” Rio wrote on the RIOtaso website. “Through routine beach cleanups, I saw firsthand the negative impact of plastic waste on the environment and the community.”
One of the brand’s collections, Kurtina ni Maria consists of pieces made from curtains – an idea that sparked upon seeing a discarded curtain that had “a really groovy print”.
The brand reflects the founder’s zero-waste lifestyle from the pieces to the packaging used to ship the items. Check out riotaso.com to know more.
Be on time and save a life (LoveHopeFaith Group)
“A life is saved with every tick of this clock” is stamped on every LoveHopeFaith watch that helps save cancer patients and other beneficiaries.
The 300-peso Life Saver watch features a sleek and minimalist style. The latest design, 4.0, features hypoallergenic strap, longer battery life, and impact- and water-resistance. LoveHopeFaith Group also offers Life Saver shirts for P300.
Half of the proceeds go to its beneficiaries, majority of whom are children with cancer. Products are available at lovehopefaithgroup.com.
A shirt for a stray (Strays Worth Saving)
For each sale of its T-shirt, a stray dog gets a second chance in life. The nonprofit “dedicated to rescuing and helping stray dogs and cats” offers merchandise whose sale goes directly to support its shelter, programs, and endeavors to rescue animals in need and in pain.
In addition to its 500-peso T-shirt, Strays Worth Saving also sells mugs, tumblers, and face masks on its Shopee store. Those who opt to give a rescue a home may contact the group through its Facebook or Instagram page to see those up for adoption.
Caring for the community (Zalora Cares)
Fashion e-tailer Zalora allows its customers to help its partner organizations’ programs, from disaster relief, food support, educational support, to animal welfare. Nonprofits include Caritas Manila, World Vision, Philippine Red Cross, Ayala Foundation, GMA Kapuso Foundation, McDonald’s Kindness Kitchen, Rise Against Hunger, Operation Smile Philippines, Save the Children, World Wide Fund for Nature, and PAWSsion project.
Zalora Cares was launched in 2020 to support COVID-19 efforts and has since expanded to give back to the community.
