Philippine avant-garde brand to take part in London Fashion Week

PamPinay, an up-and-coming Philippine avant-garde fashion house, will showcase its latest collection on the House of Ikons runway during London Fashion Week.

The show will be held on February 18 at Leonardo Royal Hotel London St Paul's.
 
Pamela Gotangco, a multi-awarded visual artist based in Switzerland, and Christian Belaro, a graphic fashioner based in England, are the designers behind PamPinay. Their process starts with Gotangco painting the fabric design in Switzerland, translating the design digitally in the UK, printing the fabrics in the Philippines, and then coordinating with several communities of seamstresses and weavers to create the final product.

Together, they have created new, sleek, and fun spins on traditional Filipiniana attire like the bolero, terno, and baro’t saya.

The brand also uses sustainable materials, upcycled pieces, and handwoven fabrics from Philippine indigenous groups, which will be presented at the fashion show.

Taking center stafe are the binakol and kantarines handwoven fabric from Abra; the embroidery, art, and beading of the T'boli tribe in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato; and the inabel from Ilocos.

PamPinay was founded in 2021 as a social project to help and answer the needs of seamstresses and weavers in the Philippines. Both women designed and produced a collection of high-quality wearable art showcasing fully Filipino-crafted designs, with the aim to promote ethical fashion, social entrepreneurship, sustainability, and responsible branding.

“We promote women empowerment by providing fair income opportunities for seamstresses back home,” the designers said.

With its participation in this year’s London Fashion Week, PamPinay hopes to promote Filipino creativity and culture and make a positive impact in the fashion world. —Nika Roque/JCB, GMA Integrated News