Local fashion brands call for help to aid Typhoon Odette survivors
By John Legaspi
“I know we've all been busy during this hectic season, but this deserves your minute or two,” noted stylist Pam Quiñones posts on Instagram. “The devastation of Vis-Min caused by #Odetteph has left me heartbroken... If you've been here for a while you know that I'm from Mindanao. Our city was spared, and my family is safe. But many homes and businesses of friends and their families in Cebu, Siargao, Bohol, and other parts of Visayas and Mindanao have not been lucky. My best friend is from Cebu, and I've been getting first-hand info and updates from her. And quite frankly, I'm at a loss for words seeing images of her wrecked home that has welcomed us a few times we visited her family.”
It is hard to look at the brighter side of the Yuletide season knowing that many of our brothers and sisters in the Visayas and Mindanao region are suffering due to the onslaught of super typhoon Odette. And while many are missing the normalcy of Christmas pasts and trying to attain it today, it doesn’t mean that we should look past the typhoon survivors’ current situation. Joining Pam in her call for help are other homegrown fashion brands, doing their own initiatives to assist the affected.
Many of our local artisans, guards of the Philippines’ creative heritage, are in the said regions. After working to keep our cultural identity alive for years through handicrafts, today is the time we give them a helping hand.
Below are some initiatives led by local fashion creatives and homegrown brands that you can check out and send help.
KC’S Closet and Avec Moi
Actress and designer KC Concepcion puts her “The Sun Will Shine” shirt from the “Love, KC” collection on sale with proceeds going “directly to rescue and relief operations dedicated to the Filipino communities affected by this devastating tropical cyclone.”
“Your purchase is extra special to us during this time when those affected by Typhoon Rai (Odette), in the Philippines, need your support the most,” she posted. “Let’s be the sunshine in other people’s grey skies, and in our little ways, make the world a better place. Thank you for your purchase and your association with our cause. Salamat po.”
Tropa Store
Multi-brand lifestyle store Tropa Store has been a host and home to many local fashion creations. In the past, it has been building its roots in Siargao by building a branch concept there. Sadly, the retail space is also badly hit by the typhoon. While trying to recover from the storm’s repercussion, it is also opening its 117 Aguirre spot in Makati for drop-off of relief goods and supplies.
“As we continue to recover from Typhoon Odette, we find ourselves circling back to what had drawn us to the island in the first place: an unwavering sense of community and pakikipagkapwa. In the few months we’ve spent building a homebase in Siargao, we have come to know its people to be a special breed of islanders—welcoming us, our partner brands, and fellow members of our Tropa with utmost warmth,” it says. “We at Tropa are devastated but nonetheless grateful for our team’s safety, as well as the island’s innate ability to bounce back in the midst of the storm’s aftermath.”
Anthill
A social enterprise that works closely with proud weavers and crafters, and being based in Cebu, one of the many areas baldy hit by the typhoon, Anthill knows what the survivors are going through, especially their team. To aid them, the brand furthers its holiday initiative with options to donate at its online store.
“We have expanded our fundraising efforts this Christmas. On top of the Noche Buena package, we appeal to your kind hearts and presence to give your support in our disaster relief efforts to ensure our partners and team all have their basics needs over the holidays as we slowly rebuild,” it says. “You can send donations upon check out of your shopping carts or send them directly through our account numbers on the post above. We will account for everything and release a transparency report as to where the funds are used.”
Check out more Typhoon Odette relief operations and donation drives here and below.