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.
