The values ​​that give Filipino fashion accessories a deep value – FAMPh president

Philippine fashion accessories become more meaningful when they incorporate the culture and heritage of the country, Agsam Fashion Fern founder and Fashion Accessories Makers of the Philippines (FAMPh) President Gina Nebrida Ty said, urging greater support for local materials, artisans, and traditional arts.

“You know there are Philippine heritages, but when I started being immersed in the NCCA, I saw the beauty of Philippine culture, Philippine heritage, and the richness of that,” Ms. Ty told BusinessWorld on the sidelines of the event.

Agsam Fashion Fern, owned by Ms. Ty, is a fashion brand that makes accessories from a native fern called agsam, found in Surigao del Sur. FAMPh is the Philippines’ first and largest association of fashion apparel makers, designers and manufacturers.

Ms. Ty said her commitment to promoting Philippine fashion accessories began when she became an official of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). It was during her six-year tenure that she became deeply immersed in Philippine heritage, which inspired her to incorporate culture and tradition into her fashion items and designs.

“When I started designing there was no culture and heritage but when I got involved and started working with NCCA, that’s when I saw the beauty of our heritage in the whole nation,” said Ms. Ty.

He said putting an element of culture and tradition into a simple item or garment can change the narrative.

“You can wear a pair of shoes, and have another pair of shoes next to it. But what can make the other interesting? Maybe, there is a story behind it. Maybe, there is a story of heritage behind it. So, definitely, the story of heritage and culture makes a big difference in making one product,” he said.

Mrs. Ty said the Philippines could use more local food products, such as bananas and pineapples. He said that the Philippines has bananas and pineapples in abundance, and this should be encouraged and used.

According to Mrs. Ty, one of the biggest challenges facing Philippine artists when it comes to art is that their products are compared to neighboring countries and sold at low prices.

“The people of the Cordillera region, it was a big news during the violence that the Cordillera region was recently digitized,… then it was made in China, imported to China, and then we saw it in the houses of Divisoria,” Ms. Ty said.

“I think it’s natural for any consumer to buy something that’s cheap or affordable…but again, as Jed said before, it’s all relative. These are variable costs. What’s cheap for you may not be acceptable for me, right? Something is expensive if the consumer doesn’t understand why it’s expensive,” he said.

Mrs. Ty said that taking care of local products must start with the government and private companies. He said this can already be seen in the public sector through the use of Republic Act (RA) No. 9242, which prescribes the wearing of Philippine thermal cloths by government officials and employees. He added that he also wears his products as a kind of “walking advertisement.”

“If the government and private companies start supporting [the local fabrics]then our import subsidies will be reduced. The reason why there is an import is because there is a need for it, right? It is a matter of supply and demand, but if there is no demand, no one will import,” said Ms. Ty.

He also said that the youth can contribute a lot to the promotion and support of local textiles and fabrics. He said the youth can contribute by promoting products through social media, wear these products, and avoid buying local fabrics and fabrics.

“Wear it, talk about it, make noise about it, and thirdly, don’t buy anything that copies weaving,” said Ms. Ty.

Mrs. Ty said many Filipino designers support Philippine textiles. However, sometimes they have no choice but to import goods because of the cost.

“I wish fashion designers would cut down on imports and use more Filipinos [fabrics]. I don’t blame them because they have expenses to follow. They need to make margins…I wish the designers or the design industry to reduce their use of imported materials and use more strong Filipino,” said Ms. Ty. Kaizzer Angela Marie V. Manuba