The future of fashion as local and circular

The Bayo Group has officially opened the doors of its multi-brand store at Glorietta. The 200-square-meter expanse features brands Bayo, Tela, and Viseversa, all of which are taking inspiration from Filipino heritage and making use of locally sourced and repurposed materials for both clothing and display.
 

In the early 2010s, when I was already starting to dress myself up, I recall shopping at Bayo with my mom from time to time. She would boast about the brand being one that was homegrown, as she held piles of clothing in her arms, eager to have them in her own wardrobe. She was the one who really taught me the value of supporting local stores and products, a habit that, in turn, instilled in me a sense of feeling closer to my roots.

Seeing how much the brand created by two Filipina sisters has grown over the years, with the group even launching a couple other brands along the way, I have brewing within me mixed feelings of nostalgia and admiration. Through the challenges posed by the recent pandemic and the brand’s catapult into the online scene, together with the global demand for immediate action on practicing sustainability, the company had to consider many factors in its pursuit of growth.

During the store’s launch, the collective showcased a variety of their latest designs, including interactive pop-ups, photo walls, and food stalls for guests to enjoy. At the heart of Glorietta, people gathered to celebrate our culture, trying their hand at weaving, indulging in Filipino-style ice cream, and learning more about how to practice sustainability to have a positive impact on our environment.

Bayo, Tela, and Viseversa all pride themselves in designing high-quality, classic pieces, which are meant to be closet staples that hold a versatility and timelessness in your wardrobe. Each brand, too, works with its own respective design philosophy at focus, in order to create a more eco-friendly production process. Bayo’s “Journey to Zero” initiative is a pledge toward a circular business model to keep the company’s carbon footprint at a minimum. Tela’s approach focuses on finding sustainable solutions through its fabric usage, hence the brand’s namesake. Lastly, Viseversa’s catalog features simple pieces that allow the wearer to put the clothing item in frequent rotation and to good use.

Even the flagship boutique’s décor consists of repurposed items such as recycled hangers, its holiday 2022 display as barricades, and even old mannequins that had been revamped using abaca. It just goes to show that just because something is old, it doesn’t mean you can no longer make anything beautiful out of it.

Through the launch of its new flaghship at Glorietta, the Bayo Group shines a light on what is truly important above all else amid the privilege of fashion. Having this kind of access to things that keep us looking good and expressing ourselves creatively also comes with a certain responsibility. In order to reduce waste and avoid unknowingly supporting abusive livelihoods, I find that it has been absolutely necessary to put emphasis on the rise of conscious fashion in the rapidly growing industry. Bayo and its brands have been keen on promoting what we call “slow fashion,” having a hand at revolutionizing the industry for generations to come.

After all these years, the brand upholds its respectable stature. On top of merely producing elegant pieces for us to wear, the Bayo Group also puts our country’s natural riches at its core and promotes proper consumer practices that create for us a more liveable world.

The Bayo Group’s multi-brand store featuring Bayo, Tela, and Viseversa is now open at the ground level of Glorietta. www.styleshops.com.ph | www.telamnl.com