Filipinos are looking towards the global stage for their fashion choices, but a new crop of Filipino designers are looking inwards to making their clothes. Twinkle Ferraren is one of those designers who are channeling their heritage, and it’s gaining fans in New York.
Ferraren works with ethnic and tribal communities and uses heritage materials for a distinctly Filipino feel. She combines these with embroidery, beadwork, and print-painting for a modern look. According to her:
A lot of it is geometric, because of the weave meanings, some of it are mountain, turtle, frogs, crabs, fishbone, the ocean. So you can just imagine this is the kind of area that they are living in.
She also said that she loves working with tribes because it speaks “about our heritage, our culture. It’s the soul of a country. It’s how you know who you are.”
Ferraren’s designs have also made it big in New York, especially during the Second Annual Ethical Pop-Up Shop. According to Andy Katz, co-founder of Jewel Lotus Global Ethical Market Place:
There’s something really unique and special about the designs coming from the Philippines. They’re a bit more like an earthy grounded feel. Some of the weaves and the thread that are being used, they’re so incredible.
Check out more of her looks below:
