Pampinay showcases its latest collection at HoI London Fashion Week 2023
Art meets style at the recent runway show of Pampinay during House of Ikons (HoI) London Fashion Week 2023. Led by Europe-based Filipina artists Pamela Gotangco and Christian Belaro, Pampinay is an upcoming fashion brand that celebrates women's empowerment and local textile.
Its show was held last Feb 18 at the Leonardo Royal Hotel London St Paul's. What it brought to the runway were reimagined Filipino pieces. The terno got a campy treatment with its denim play. Local textiles added a touch of vibrancy to its dramatic black ensembles. While Pamela’s art also took centerstage during the show through pieces imbued with hibiscus prints and pop art illustrations celebrating Filipino culture.
Pampinay was established during the height of COVID-19. Its mission is to “help and answer the needs of Filipina seamstresses and weavers in the Philippines.” Slow fashion is also at the core of the brand, producing pieces based only on the demand and paying respect to the materials and resources they have.
“Weaving is an integral part of our community, particularly weaving,” Pamela said in a past interview with Manila Bulletin Lifestyle. “If weavers are not making money out of it, if they are not teaching the younger generation to do the weaving, it will die. We don’t want that because it is beautiful."
Starting out with one loom weaver, the brand now works with four weaving cooperatives in different parts of the country. Its design process begins with Pamela’s art being generated into digital form by Christian, which is then printed on textile. The print is then sewn with local textiles by Filipino seamstresses and indigenous artisans adding embellishments to the finished works.
“I am not a fashion designer,” Pamela said.“I keep telling people that I cannot call myself a fashion designer because that involves hours of training. I’m still a visual designer, but in Pampinay, we create wearable art.”
Check out Pampinay’s collection below:
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