The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
By Ma. Cristina C. Arayata / Philippines News Agency
It seems scrap materials now have a special place in the world of fashion.
Proof of this? Top Japanese clothing manufacturer and retailer Uniqlo uses scrap fabrics to create bags for its corporate giveways. What’s special about the bags is that they’re empowering a community of women in Calauan town, Laguna province.
Uniqlo recently partnered with ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation Inc. (ALKFI) to make this possible through what’s called the Upcycling Project.
According to Uniqlo Philippines Chief Operations Officer (COO) Katsumi Kubota, their partnership only started last November.
At the time, Uniqlo just donated used clothing from its customers. But the foundation gave the clothing company a huge inspiration, as it supported communities in Calauan through the ABS-CBN Foundation’s Bayan ni Juan project.
So, the idea of giving the community something to wear has evolved, and that’s where the Upcycling Project came in.
”We want to offer them (the community) livelihood through this program,” Kubota said in an interview with the Philippines News Agency.
The company offers free alterations for jeans bought from its stores. The scrap fabrics from these alterations are being collected daily and donated to the community.
Besides supplying small pieces of fabric, Uniqlo also donated sewing machines to the community, and buys the finished products made with them.
Two of the 12 women who make these bags are Rebecca and Salvacion. They said Uniqlo asked them for a prototype. They made a wallet, but they found out that Uniqlo wanted bags. The company provided them with a pattern to follow.
The Upcycling Project is a big help to them, according to Rebecca. While they didn’t give an exact figure, Rebecca said her earnings from the project are good.
”It (project) has helped me a lot. I was able to provide tuition for my (kids), and was also able to buy shoes and clothes for (them),” she said
Rebecca and Salvacion said the project has no timeline, but is targeting to come up with 1,000 upcycled bags. They said they had completed 328 pieces as of last Monday.
Will Uniqlo come up with another project that targets women/community empowerment anytime soon? Kubota said the company has no plans yet, but emphasized that it wants to make the Upcycling Project bigger.
”If we’ll have more stores, for instance, then we’ll have more scrap fabrics to donate,” he said.
Uniqlo currently has 27 stores in the Philippines.
It seems like scrap materials have a special place in the world of fashion.
Remember Rajo Laurel’s Rags2Riches bags? These are artisanal bags that are literally made from rags, and were crafted by a community of women.
People keep on innovating, and scrap materials are being turned into fabulous creations. These materials may not be the “in” thing now, but it’s nice to see that they can actually empower people.