One of the main reasons I have my style Instagram, YouTube and Tiktok is because I really want a space where I can showcase locally made and more independent brands and makers.
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| Sala Chaussures Shoes from the Basics Line |
Being a small business owner myself, I love, appreciate and support locally made fashion items even more. For one, they are all almost usually handmade by artisans. There is just something about a handmade item compared to machine-made mass produced stuff. They are more rare and special and laborious. You can see that a lot of care and effort go into making each item and you get to appreciate them even more.
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| From left : Shoes my from shoe line, Sala Chaussures; Geometric shaped earrings from Lavande Artisan, black and white top from Liven PH, Kimono top from Keimono. |
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| From left : Handmade clay Philippine flower earrings from Una Artesana, terno top from Ilaya Couture, fish straw hat from SEPA. |
Another reason is that locally made items are bound to be unique. I don't know if it's just me but I start to dislike things when I see every single person out on the streets wearing the same stuff. I am not really into following trends. I'll only wear trends if I really like them, but to wear them for the sake of what's "in" right now just isn't me. I prefer timeless and unique pieces that I know can transcend seasons and can be worn for a long time. No hate to fast fashion and machine made stuff and anyone who consumes them (I mean, I do still buy the occasional Mango, Zara and Uniqlo) - it's just that you will definitely have hundreds more people with the same stuff as you do.
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| From left : Blue striped top from Kul Official , bag from Costal Bags, pants from Seek The Uniq; sunglasses from Seek The Uniq, banana earrings from Strozzi Handmade Jewelry, mango earrings from Una Artesana; bucket bag from La Filippine, skirt topper from R.A.F. Manila |
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| From left : spider necklace from Peewee Benitez; frilly clutch from The Organized Chicas; bahay kubo and fish earrings from Strozzi Handmade Jewelry |
I personally love having those one-of-a-kind items that you know people won't recognize right away or know where it's from or where it's made. Those pieces that spark conversations and with other people who are as enthusiastic as you are in the "treasure hunting". Because it rather is like treasure hunting. Locally made items from small businesses are harder to find since they're not like the stuff that are advertised and seen everywhere. They're like unicorns - special and one-of-a-kind.
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| From left : cream top from Camisa Amana; bow top from Religioso; black bag with wooden panels from Eve&Adam, black pants from Carma. |
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| From left : blue dress from The Project Clothing Co.; terno top from Style Ana; flower brooch with lady bug from Good Luck Humans. |
Buying local, in the long run is probably more sustainable. Not only are you supporting the livelihood of smaller makers, you are saving up on shipping costs and resources used to ship items from other parts of the world. I know it may not seem like much and I really am not an expert nor an environmental warrior myself, but I believe these little actions may help a little bit. It's also better than nothing. If you are at a loss on how to be more environmentally friendly and are not ready to make all these grand gestures - I think buying local is a great place to start!
I've also made a series on YouTube on shopping and buying local - with some outfit ideas and ways to style the items I got. If you ever make it out on a trip to the Philippines or are just generally interested in unique, artisanal and locally crafted items, please check out this playlist.
What do you guys think? Do you love buying small and local? I would also love to find out more about locally made and more indie brands from your countries - please leave a comment below and links to these makers so I can check them out!
Find me here:
YouTube : My Life Is A Shoe
Instagram : @mylifeisashoe
Pinterest: www.pinterest.ph/celynps
Tiktok : My Life Is A Shoe
These are excellent pieces, and the tops are a very chic option. I think it's a good idea to shop locally because you can get unique designs and you'll also be supporting the community.
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