‘We have a responsibility, not just that we’re not just responsible for ourselves. We are responsible for our country, culture, heritage, for the Earth. It’s buying better, buying less and making it last.’
Filipinos are now much more open about our country’s traditions and culture than they were many years ago.
Tati Miranda-Fortuna, a true advocate of circular fashion, works to transform the industry by supporting indigenous weavers and making sustainable fashion more accessible.
Miranda’s professional commitments also include roles within organizations through which she works to grow the circular fashion movement. She’s pursued further education related to her work, both in sustainability and as an image consultant, at the Parsons School of Design and the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, and the London School of Fashion.
A decade ago, she set up a company that designs, manufactures and supplies custom-made workwear or uniforms for clients such as airlines, integrated resorts, hotels, restaurants and cafes around the Philippines. It was then that Miranda realized that she had been contributing so much environmental waste.
Feeling that it was her responsibility to provide clients with a sustainable solution, she kickstarted Ucycle, a company that focuses on offering eco-friendly fabric to clients with options of post-consumer recycled plastic bottles and excess or deadstock fabric.
Miranda is redefining fashion with purpose and heritage. She works closely with the Mabilong community of weavers, having to grow up in Kalinga.
“My mom, who’s a doctor, was born in Lubuagan, the weaving capital of Kalinga. She dedicated her service, most of her profession as a doctor, to the province of Kalinga. I went to school there until I had to leave for college. I saw how my mom truly was very proud of her heritage. Although she’s not a Kalinga. What we are is we are part Igurota,” she told DAILY TRIBUNE.
In college, Miranda took History at the University of the Philippines Diliman. Yet, she felt like she was always interested in clothing. Her mother played a huge role in igniting this passion from within.
“My mom had a clinic beside our house. And, if you look out the window, you’ll see the waiting area of patients. So as a little girl, there were times that I would look out and I would see patients in full attire, with beads and tattoos. I always found it interesting. But I never knew it was going to lead me to what I’m doing now,” she recalled.
Miranda set up Tahi, a brand she founded with Jun Escario, with the objective in mind of creating capsule wardrobe pieces that are basic and necessary in your closet. You can wear them on rotation and mix and match with different styles while incorporating local weave.
“I wanted to work first with the community where my family has roots and that’s Lubuagan, Kalinga. But it’s not going to be just focused on them because for the next collection we would like to feature another community of weavers from a different part of the Philippines. The idea altogether is to encourage and show that our weaves can either be a part of our daily wear or can also be an accent to our daily wear,” she said.
Tahi, just like its meaning to sew, aims to sew our culture, tradition, heritage — putting it together to honor, respect, and preserve and promote Philippine identity.
“There’s more awareness. I think it can be improved if there’s more education on how to pass it on to the next generation. We have to support the way that it can be passed on. That’s like the efforts we do in Tahi. I think if more people would do that, the designers, the manufacturers, because if it’s more financially rewarding, then...it is more interesting for the next generation to take on the tradition and the craft and to continue rather than it’s a one-time thing,” Miranda quipped.
There should be continuity. “It’s not the quantity of the clothes that you have, it’s the quality. And if quality is important, then you talk about cost per wear. If you buy something that costs P10,000, but it lasts you a good five, six, seven years on rotation. I advocate for good basic quality pieces that fit you well, which you can mix and match. You don’t have to have so many,” Miranda added.
Layering is a critical style skill to elevate clothes to outfits. She said, “It’s nice to layer. We have those items in Tahi that when you put on another layer, it becomes a different outfit. You put another accessory; it’s a different outfit. If there are basic pieces, it’s easy to make a different look from the same clothing choices that you already have in your closet. It’s cost-per-wear, rather than the cost of the item, and that’s it. If we are conscious about our choices, we will have a better chance in practicing sustainability.”
Apart from being a circular fashion advocate, Miranda is promoting creativity and craftsmanship of the Filipino people through Biyaya Sustainable Living Festival where farmers, artisans and designers come together to preserve tradition that ensures both people and planet can flourish.
“It’s all about putting farmers, weavers, crafters and artisans front and center rather than the middleman or rather than the bar, the coffee shop. It’s the farmers that are being honored in this festival. We’re bringing them from different parts of the country — Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.”
Together with the farmers, award-winning Filipino coffees took centerstage at the festival.
“These are the coffees that won in Paris, France. We want the farmers to be honored in a way that they feel that it is something worthwhile, because sometimes they get frustrated. Being happy with what they do comes hand-in-hand with the respect and the honor that they are given. When you support the farmer, you also support the community. Meaning, in the community, it’s not just the farmer. There’s a weaver, there’s a crafter. There are so many things,” Miranda said.
A fashion show featuring 40 full-woven pieces from Tahi was also held at the festival.
“We call it The Walk because everyone who wants to practice sustainability has to take that step. Take that step, so take ‘The Walk.’”
In essence, the Biyaya Festival is a celebration of resilience, creativity and community. By participating, you are not just enjoying a festival; you are committing to support and uplift the very heart of Filipino culture.
“I think it’s a combination of first, we need to be very conscious of how we consume things. It all starts with us because we can say that, because fast fashion is there, and if it’s sustainable, it’s expensive. I can’t afford it. Fashion doesn’t have the power over you to make you buy that. You have the power to say no. It can be on sale, but you can say, ‘do I need it?’ I have enough,” Miranda said.
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