Lifestyle
VIRAL: Filipinos are all over this Vogue Runway post about woven textiles that costs almost P10K
VIRAL: Filipinos are all over this Vogue Runway post about woven textiles that costs almost P10K
By John Legaspi
'In the Philippines, we use these as doormats,' one commenter posted.
There are so many things that can trigger Filipinos and one of those is seeing regular items being sold for quite a huge sum of money. That is what’s happening on a recent Instagram post by Vogue Runway.
Seen on the post is Elise McMahon founder of LikeMindedObjects, a home furnishing brand that champions sustainability. Also in the photo are her woven textiles that are made from discarded fabrics and old tees. Her works are described by Vogue as “heavy, puffy material not dissimilar from quilted fabrics or weighted blankets.” But in the eyes of the Filipinos, these woven textiles look awfully similar to the humble doormats we see in local households.
Of course, Filipinos can’t help but express how this art of looming has been around for years in the country. One commenter said, “The Philippines has been doing this for YEAAAARRRRSSSSS... where's our feature?” While another Instagram user pointed out the lack of recognition on where the craft is practiced saying, “Cool but like it makes me uncomfortable knowing there's no acknowledgment of other cultures (like mine) that have upcycled fabrics for much, much, much longer that would probably benefit from the exposure as well.”
This woven textile by LikeMindedObjects has even reached Tiktok as the brand sells them for $200 per piece—that’s around P10,000. LikeMindedObjects’ T-shirt Waste loom is a collaboration between the brand’s founder and artist Franny Capone, and comes with a How-To Manual a video class.”
@chibeanz Reply to @hanseolk Stunned Filipino - Sean
Though this type of looming is present in many different countries, turning upcycled materials into home furnishing has been happening in the Philippines in the past years with the likes of Rags2Riches Inc. as one of the many who pioneered it. R2R was mentioned by users in the comments as well.
In a post, R2R co-founder Reese Fernandez-Ruiz addressed Filipino netizens' concern saying she has been talking to Elise and described her as “kind, open, and considerate.”
“She is a person that I never would have met but now we are connected. And I think that bridge has power as bridges often have,” Reese wrote. “In this ongoing discourse, I’m hoping that more cultures and people can be uplifted. It takes a lot of consistent work to give more platforms to those who do not have the same access as others.”
“So if you have been following this conversation and you think you can also be part of the action, send us a message! I would love to share more information about our work in R2R (and other Filipino brands, too!) and explore ways to collaborate or just get connected. You know what I said about bridges, right? Let’s weave and build more,” she ended
Read Vogue's feature here.
Hello, readers! Do you have a story you want us to feature? Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, and Twitter and let’s talk about it.