Young Filipino designers introduce sustainable bridal collection

Young designers behind the circular social enterprise REPAMANA introduced a sustainable solution to single-use bridal wear. Called United in REPAMANA, the collection was first launched at the Singapore Fashion Council Gala. The startup served as the lone Philippine representative following a special invitation from the Philippine Fashion Coalition.

REPAMANA was founded in 2023 by creative entrepreneurs and De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) Fashion Design and Merchandising graduates Dars Juson and Allesandra Gutierrez, together with Benilde Multimedia Arts (MMA) talent Earl Marquez. Motivated by their shared mission to help address the environmental issue on textile waste, the young artists teamed up to repurpose discarded hotel textiles into diverse products, from ready-to-wear garments to stylish accessories.

The group believes REPAMANA stands as a testament to the creative power of purposeful fashion, as it breathes new life and higher value to the end products. Presently, the young innovators have already diverted over 200 kilos of bedsheets from landfills and have upcycled over 75 kilos of textile waste into contemporary pieces.

When given the opportunity to debut on the international stage, the budding creatives decided to shed light on their advocacy and Filipino ingenuity, this time on the bridal scene.

“United in REPAMANA explores an unconventional bridal concept and challenges traditional wedding norms,” they explained. “Inspired by a childhood memory of United in Marriage, a cross-stitch pattern often seen in households, it critiques the extravagant and costly wedding industry and embraces vulnerability and resourcefulness.”

The collection plays with the demi-couture category, which bridges the gap between ready-to-wear and haute couture and channels an intricate relationship between draping and patchwork. It features a total of three looks, each an embodiment of the REPAMANA brand of upcycling.

“Envisioning weddings as intimate and home-based, it utilizes bedsheets, tablecloths, and found objects, redefining what a memorable wedding can be,” the group stated.

Headlining the series is an elevated version of the classic Filipiniana. Specially conceptualized and created for the modern muse, it features the iconic butterfly sleeves with a structured “kum-ot,” an original surface design technique specially developed by REPAMANA.

“The word ‘kum-ot’ in Bisaya loosely translates ‘to crumple,’ which is at the heart of this endeavor,” the group explained.

“It is a distinctive textile manipulation process, inspired by traditional hand-gathering, typically done by pulling, stitching, or scrunching fabric into pleated, ruched, or rippled formations,” they added. “It showcases a tactile surface — almost sculptural — with irregular pleats and ripples that look like waves, folds, or topographic landscapes.”

The second piece, which was co-created with fashion designer and fellow Benilde FDM homegrown alum Fred Leysa, is a nod to the union of a traditional man and woman — with intertwined vulnerability at the center of its theme.

“It fuses dressmaking and tailoring elements,” they shared. “It seamlessly blends both styles into a harmonious, expressive ensemble where each complements the other.”

The last look is what the creatives call “an epitome of wedding dresses,” a head-turning garb that “marries elegance and chaos.”

“This design celebrates femininity and self-love, merging sophistication with a touch of wildness, creating a powerful and unique bridal statement,” they concluded.

REPAMANA is more than just about sustainable fashion. With empowerment as one of the core missions, the brand has likewise provided second chances to female persons deprived of liberty by training them in dressmaking and accessories.

In fact, the fabrics used in United in REPAMANA were created hand-in-hand with the partners. For the young creatives, this part of their advocacy not only imparts valuable skills but also contributes to their rehabilitation and reintegration into society.