Philippine Fashion Week
Holiday 2013 proved to be another exciting showcase for Filipino
designers. One such designer that I
always look forward to seeing a new collection is Happy V. Andrada and this
season didn’t disappoint as models sashayed on the runway wearing tops,
bottoms, jackets and dresses in fine woven fabrics with interesting
architectural details.
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PFW Holiday 2013 Happy V. Andrada Collection |
Happy’s
new collection highlights creations that promote eco-ethical fashion – using
natural dyes in 100% organic woven fabrics indigenous to the Philippines – which enable her to
help support local skilled artisans from various communities that produced the
fabrics. Happy muses, “I
used environment friendly resources to create a collection that supports the
Filipino artisan worker. Everything is 100% Philippine made.” In muted color palette of lilac, gray, red and
black, Happy worked her magic using Abaca, Pineapple, Pineapple Silk, Pineapple
Crepe, Philippine Dupioni, Jusi, Bamboo and Waterlily. “I plan to use other colors
that would fit other seasons for future collections.”
When
asked what inspired her to come out with such patriotic collection, Happy shares,
“I got invited to showcase my designs in Czechoslovakia,
United States of America and Japan and so I decided to highlight Philippine
made fabrics to say I am a proud Filipino and at the same time, these fabrics
are saving the earth because they are eco-friendly materials and ethical in the
sense of production, labor, etc.”
And does the collection have
a name? “To be honest this Philippine Fashion Week Holiday 2013 collection
doesn’t have a title, it’s just babies of my winning entry from FDCP Weaving
the Future Smart Choice Award, where my collection was called Barong Reinvented.
From there, my designs just evolved,” Happy volunteers. “I also played around
with shapes like triangles, so I could call it Triangular Evolution, too.”
With
her wearable art ready for the market, she’ll definitely be on top of the list
of fashionistas who are advocates of a healthy earth and giving back to
society.
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Designer Happy V. Andrada (extreme right) with models at the PFW Holiday 2013 at SMX |
About
the Designer
Happy
took fashion courses at Central Saint Martins in London. A dynamic young designer, she has
been joining and winning shows and contests here and abroad – won as Emerging
Designer at the 2012 Miami International Fashion Week International; won two
major awards in the last 3rd Asian Weddings and Arts Competition in Hong Kong;
won grand prize at the Swatch’s My Rabbit Story and Smart Choice Winner in the
Weaving the Future competition by the Fashion Design Council of the
Philippines, among others.
The creative lady behind her
own fashion label is also an entrepreneur who co-owns F*ART Fashion ART with her equally talented and beautiful
sister, book author Viva V. Andrada.