Fashion that matters

Fashion is an endless sea of brands. Year after year, new ones rise to the shore and make a huge splash in the market. But after making that noise, some are carried by the waves back to the sea while a handful remain afloat and set sail into the world of designer retail. In the last few years, one name comes to fore for having braved the storms and successfully capturing the heart of the Manila market — the current toast of what women want to wear, Trude Lizares.

Trude Lizares isn’t a brand as much as it’s a philosophy. This is when fashion goes beyond its definition as clothing and transcends into a lifestyle.

She says, “Fashion is not just aesthetics, but rather a fusion of the soul of the modern woman and her spirit of yearning for what is eternally true and beautiful.”

As a social and environmental sustainability advocate, Trude only uses fabrics that are environment-friendly, sustainable and all-natural.

Every piece of art is meticulously created, patterned cut and sewn. The designer says, “The stuff we wear are not just pieces of garments, but they are a way of life.”

This is a strong testament to the high value regarded in fair work ethics and personal development for both artist and artisans.

Thirty-five years ago, Lizares first opened her homegrown atelier. With it came her senior cutter followed by her senior sewer for 28 years. Surviving the decades, the brand has grown, evolved and withstood the test of time.

It is in inventing and producing pieces of clothing that matter, which keeps them alive. Moving fashion forward, they firmly believe in making a difference. How? Lizares says, “Saving Mother Earth by using only natural fabrics while uplifting the lives of the artisans, the workers and even clients for whom the designer creates with the main goal that the creations will bring out the best in each one of them. For the artisans to take pride in their work not as a mere product of their labor, but rather an extension of themselves.”

Trude Lizares pop-up runs for the whole month of September located on the second level, Powerplant Mall, Rockwell, Makati City.