For your fashion fixes, make sure to visit this e-store.
With boutique closures, no live runway shows, and no collection launches in the early months of community quarantine, it has been tough for Filipino fashion designers, especially the upcoming ones trying to make a living out of their art. Much like every industry, it is on the internet where these fashion creatives saw their salvation.
That is why esteemed fashion school in the Philippines, Slim's Fashion and Arts School, launched a digital store on Instagram, to showcase not only their alumni talent, but also to help them make a business while the pandemic continues.
"Slim's studio was launched last December 2020," Ternocon 2020 champion and Slim's alumna Hannah Adrias tells Manila Bulletin Lifestyle. "Initially, it started with Mark Higgins' initiative to give a platform to graduates to showcase and sell their pieces, but it was the pandemic that pushed forward the idea of an online marketplace for our alumni to sell their ready-to-wear clothes."
Slim's Studio is where you can get ready-to-wear pieces with a designer touch. That means getting a everyday garment that is tailored to you and a customizable and one-of-a-kind. If you're afraid of getting an after school project, well, you're not. Participating designers undergo a screening process where they submit sketches and design prototypes before their products hit e-store. This way, Slim's ensures that its standards and disciplines when it comes to clothing are met.
"Slim’s Studio’s unique selling point is the craftsmanship of these students and alumni," the e-store says. "Slim’s is a very technical school with intense skill development programs. So for the students and alumni, these pieces will showcase their craftsmanship and attention to detail that they have learned from school."
Truly, the legacy of fashion legend Salvacion Lim Higgins and her daughter Sandy lies in the students they honed and inspired. With alumni such as Albert Andrada, Michael Cinco, Oliver Tolentino, Martin Bautista, Joey Samson, and its featured designers at Slim's Studio, local fashion is sure to thrive and keep on going, even in times of crisis.
"Slim's alumni, even students, learn the value of teamwork. Everywhere they go, everything that needs to be done, they help each other. I think that's what sets them apart from the others. Slim's studio is a proof that," Hannah says. "With the e-store, everyone can look forward to more fresh, unique, and carefully made pieces from them. These individuals are making their pieces on their own, buying and sourcing materials locally. Through this, we hope we can bring more curated pieces that can help the community specifically our local sewers and weavers. Support local, everyone!"
Instagram: @slimsstudio
Photography: Maricar Viray | Beauty: Vie Bonne | Model: Charlie Alipio