Who says there’s an age limit for wearing stylish outfit?
Right: linen combination rectangular top, linen paperbag pants
Not Jao San Pedro and Celine Mallari, graduating students from the Fashion Design and Merchandising Program of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde.
With the aim to address the issue on ageism, the term for prejudice against people based on their age, the two young fashion innovators sought to highlight the beauty and power of women who age gracefully through Garbo, their brand of handmade, sophisticated yet comfortable ready-to-wear pieces for women aged 55 to 70.
“We’ve always looked up to older women as our style icons and we grew frustrated with the industry constantly undermining them,” shared the creative duo.
“They’ve made aging into an insecurity, when it is in fact a beautiful thing. It’s a market we’ve found and it just made sense for us to want to dress the women we love so much.”
The brand debuted with an 11-piece Resort 2019 capsule compilation that exudes the polished and flawless blend of meticulous pattern-making and innovative structure.
The initial line, according to San Pedro and Mallari, taps into the 2020 fashion trend, which consciously shifts to organic and biodegradable materials, and exhibits undyed color and simplified manufacturing processes.
Pieces include silk slip dress, penguin dress, caftan, balloon top, curved skirt, doleman jacket, paperbag trousers, and cut-out shirts and jackets in elegant earth and neutral tones—ideal for mixing and matching—made using various sustainable materials such as silk, cotton, and linen that promote comfort and ease of wear.
While the current selection was made of local deadstock (old fabric that hasn’t been sold) US linen, the brand’s future garments aim to highlight the craftsmanship of Filipino weavers and source Global Organic Textile Standard-approved bio-flax Italian and Japanese yarns from eco-friendly farms that do not use harmful fertilizers or chemical herbicides.
Consistent to its advocacy towards an environment-friendly industry, San Pedro and Mallari chose to introduce Garbo as a slow fashion brand, as opposed to fast fashion.
“Our customers can easily pre-order the garments released in stores or through our website,” they explained. “This ensures we do not produce more than necessary and end up with tons of fabric waste that pollutes landfills. This set-up also guarantees our brand value stays up as low supply equates exclusivity.”
Pieces will be available for purchase starting August.
Right: linen combination balloon sleeve top, linen drawstring pants
The debut line was part of the sprawling display of ensembles in “Sinulid: Prologue,” a large-scale exhibition featuring the works of Benilde’s emerging artists. The exhibition is ongoing at the SM Aura Premier Atrium until July 22.