Blacks, whites, and grays dominate the wardrobes of most people nowadays thanks to the rise in popularity of normcore and monochromatic style. Even when the use of color comes to play, it's usually just used as an accent piece or to break off an all black ensemble. Clothing in colors that remind you of the ocean and beautiful flowers are so underrated but honestly, what looks better than clothing inspired by our own home? If you're not really sure what warm or earth tones look like, don't fret because here's a color guide that you can work with! 

- Victoria Urrutia
collages made using polyvore.com

In today’s digital world, more and more local brands are now shown appreciation; and it was about time that happened. Instagram has contributed to this greatly as people can now find shops in an instant with minimal effort. Just a click of a button can send you to your next favorite brand’s profile. You can then scroll freely through their eye-candy feed while silently cursing yet praising yourself for discovering new clothes that will empty your wallet soon enough. And that’s basically what happened when we found this new interesting store!

Likha Philippines is one of the newest local brands to enter the online shopping world. Amidst all the other stores found on the lovable and addicting app, they certainly stand out for really embodying Filipino pride. Their first collection Bagets features basic blouses named after what we presume to be historical Filipino women. Maria? Clara? Gabriella? Juana? They definitely ring a bell.  

They definitely got our attention there and so to know more about the brand, we had a chat with the owner Chesca Marcelino.

Tell us something about yourself!
I’m Chesca Marcelino and I’m a 17 year old entrepreneur student at the University of Santo Tomas. I chose the field of fashion because ever since I was young, I’ve always been fascinated by how people express themselves through the way they dress. Through this experience I am slowly learning more about how the culture of fashion in the Philippines works. As of now, I own the store Likha Philippines which promotes local products made by Filipinos. I was also inspired by the success of our Filipino fashion designers that used local materials in promoting the talent of [other] Filipinos in the skill of garment making.

What made you want to start a clothing brand?
I believe in our capacity to produce world class garments. As I mentioned earlier, I was inspired by our local designers whose work I’ve always admired, such as Inno Sotto and the like. At the same time, I wanted to help and share my blessings to the less fortunate.

Why the name "Likha"? Why did you choose a Filipino word?
The word likha means a thing produced by intelligence and skill, so I want my brand to speak for itself; that it is [also] indeed a local brand from the Philippines. I want to share my talent and creativity to other people and inspire them as well to express themselves through the way they dress. I also want people to know how competent Filipinos are in the skill of garment making thus uplifting the Filipino spirit.

Why did you choose Instagram as your selling platform?
The generation today is more involved in social media, and Instagram is one of the most influential social media sites. And since people can bring their smartphones everywhere, it has already been a habit especially for the youth nowadays to check on their personal accounts every hour or so on what are the latest trends in fashion (since it is constantly changing).  Instagram is a good site for start up a business like mine to also reach out to different countries around the world. 

How are your pieces made? Are they done locally/handmade/etc.?
My pieces are basically inspired by a 90’s meet modern type of style. I want to bring old fashion back with the mixture of Filipino fashion. They are sewn by Filipino sewers, and I ensure that the quality of my pieces are impeccable.

What do you think is unique about your brand?  
My brand is unique since it does not only showcase the Filipino talent, but it also is a way to share my blessings by having a portion of the sales go to an educational fund to support indigent students and other charitable organizations.

Do you think it's important for young people to appreciate local brands more? If so, why?
Yes, because I believe that the raw materials used in our garment manufacturing can compete with the best brands in the world. This in turn will contribute to the growth of our economy.

What can we expect from your future collections?
People can expect an edgier style and more timeless pieces that will [again] promote Filipino designs using local materials.

We can’t wait for what Likha Philippines will showcase next! But in the meantime, go ahead and follow them for updates:

facebook.com/likhaphilippines
instagram.com/likhaco

- Reign Gonzales
all photos courtesy of Chesca Marcelino (Likha Philippines)

To wit, it wouldn’t be a novel thing for us to see people in important events wearing the famed baro’t sayas, luxuriously beaded and designed to perfection. Oftentimes, we’d see these people bearing the country’s face proud and strong, hence one would get a sense of patriotism and of respect for the country. Conversely, there would be people who would use traditional costumes as a means for profit without understanding the long history that such pieces of costumes have gone though. Some would go as far as to debase relics of cultures to objects for humor and wit.

I think what I’m trying to say here is that modernizing traditional Filipino costumes is not entirely bad. Given our access to information today and our tendency to embrace ethnic cultures new to us, it can’t be helped that there may be times we begin to feel influenced by its unfamiliarity. This unfamiliarity comes as a double edged sword when we think that it is okay to use traditional pieces as commodities for fashion. We shouldn’t feel entitled to use any costume piece without first understanding its history and in turn RESPECTING the culture and the people from where you take your costume pieces from. It is not cool or hip to walk around places wearing the barong tagalog, for instance and don it like a huge fashion banner. When we take pieces from cultural groups in the Philippines, we have to understand its usage so as not disrespect or exploit the group involved.

“To appreciate a culture is to be respectful of the culture as a whole, including the people who belong to it. Learn about them”  (Isis Evangelista on Cultural Appropriation) found here

Modernising traditional Filipino costumes, really all boils down to one important principle, and that is respect. To be a true makabayan, one has to be aware with the Filipino’s long fight with cultural misrepresentation and debasement by taking part in concrete ways that would honor the history of the Philippines and the state of its people. Always remember:  one’s culture is not (and should never be) another man’s fashion trend.

- ✿ Bea Ticsay ✿
click photo for source

✿ Bea Ticsay ✿
sources of images 1