#MadeInThePhilippines: 15 Homegrown Brands We Love

Clothes

13.) ANTHILL Fabric Gallery

“ANTHILL” is short for Alternative Nest and Trading/ Training Hub for Indigenous/ Ingenious Little Livelihood seekers. While curating this list, I had a difficult time looking for a social enterprise selling clothes. There has been an abundance of social enterprises selling shoes, bags, and accessories, but ANTHILL was the first social enterprise I found that focused on clothes. However, they do so much more than simply offer beautiful locally made clothes.

Providing job opportunities is a natural effect of starting up a business. The question is what kind of working environment an entrepreneur exposes his or her workers too. I was able to interview Anya Lim, the co-founder and Managing Director of ANTHILL Fabric Gallery. She talked about the people and tribes involved in ANTHILL Fabric Gallery, which includes Mang Abel Ti Abra, The Handcrafters of Mary Enterprise from Tisa, Cebu City, and The Daraghuyan Bukidnon Tribe.

The necktie and the top from the photos were made using Abra weaves from Mang Abel Ti Abra. “The women in our partner rural weaving village in Abra, Cordillera Region comprise of 33 weavers, predominantly female, weaving fabrics made out of scrap thread. These mothers purchase scrap thread per kilo at a nearby town and use them for weaving done in their antique looms within the comforts of their home,” Anya explained.

Apart from its apparel line, ANTHILL also sells dolls using fabrics from old clothes and scraps through The Handcrafters of Mary Enterprise (HOME) Plush Toys. “The urban community in Tisa, Cebu City, Philippines is composed of 15 mothers making hand sewn rag dolls using fabrics from old clothes and scraps. After an expressed interest from the community to learn and pursue making dolls for extra livelihood and additional income, ANTHILL organized the community of mothers and provided skills training…They have gained corporate accounts like Human Nature, Messy Bessy, Unilab Foundation, FitFlops, Plan International, among others,” Anya said.

Lastly, ANTILL also works with the Daraghuyan Bukidnon Tribe. “Kitanglad Integrated NGO (KIN) introduced the Daraghuyan Community of the Bukidnon-Higaonon Tribe to ANTHILL while they were seeking out other livelihood opportunities for the community upon realizing the environmental limitations and resistance of the community to commercial farming. The community, headed by the Tribal Council with active Tribal Youth participation, articulated their desire to have livelihood opportunities that will foster communal activities for the preservation and transmission of indigenous culture. After several informal dialogues and initial needs and opportunities assessment, ANTHILL was able to set up a weaving center for the community from an angel donor. The community used intrinsic indigenous skills and presented different crafts for evaluation and further innovation. The community is currently on its second round of weaving skills training where the younger generations of women act as apprentice to elder weavers who are masters of the craft. The community produces hand loomed fabric using abaca fiber and natural dyes. They are also a source of raw materials like seeds and nuts the Tribal Guards collect in their forest park. These raw materials are utilized in a wide variety of fashion accessories.”

ANTHILL Fabric Gallery

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Apartment8Clothing/

Instagram: @anthillfabric

Website: www.anthillfabricgallery.com

14.) Apartment 8 Clothing

Clothes by Apartment 8 are chic, classy, and affordable. I always see my favorite celebrities donned in their creations, so I visited their shop in Quezon City and enjoyed getting to know the brand more. I like how their clothes are suitable for corporate events, parties, and even for casual days where you want to look a little bit more made up than the usual shirt and jeans. For me, the best way to describe their clothes are “celebrity dressing” without the glamorous price.

If you’re wondering which celebrities they’ve added to their roster of clients, check out their social media accounts!

Apartment 8 Clothing

Website: https://www.apartment8clothing.com/