Rebel with a cause

MANILA, Philippines - #WeAreTipped, Fred Perry’s international campaign to promote their classic twin-tipped shirt has been ongoing for quite a while now. Search the hashtag online and you’ll find a flood of fan-taken selfies, all wearing the iconic Fred Perry twin stripe shirt. Locally, however, the #WeAreTipped campaign has taken a more altruistic slant, one closer to our hearts (and our shores). The ongoing campaign for Fred Perry Philippines aims to raise not only awareness but also funds for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan, which hit us hard in Nov. 2013. Although the disaster occurred more than a year ago, many of the towns devastated by the typhoon continue to struggle to rebuild their homes and communities from lack of funds.

Working together with Habitat for Humanity, Fred Perry Philippines began their campaign with a weekly photography series, inviting eight of the country’s best photographers (Jake Verzosa, Mark Nicdao and Joan Bitagcol, to name a few) to take portraits for the cause. For every purchase of Fred Perry’s classic twin-tipped shirts, proceeds were donated to Habitat for Humanity, and customers were given editorial-worthy portraits as a plus.

As if that wasn’t enough, Fred Perry Philippines is hosting Rebel With a Cause, an art auction and food fair from Dec. 5 to 7 in Rockwell. The art auction features 15 artists (including up-and-coming young artists, gallery favorites and a National Artist), hand-picked by Young STAR editor in chief Raymond Ang, who turn the twin-tipped shirts into priceless works of art. From embroidery and painting to sculpture and mixed media, some of the pieces have starting bid prices as low as P10,000 and can be viewed over the weekend at Univers in Rockwell.

If the art auction is a little out of your budget, you can still participate in the #WeAreTipped campaign by catching the food festival at Plaza Drive, also in Rockwell, which happens from 6 to 10 p.m. on Dec. 5 and 6 (Friday and Saturday), and from lunchtime ‘til 10 p.m. on Dec. 7 (Sunday). Among the roster of chefs and restaurants participating in the food festival: Margarita Fores, Elbert Cuenca, Alex Lichaytoo, Pepi Cubano, JP Anglo of Sarsa, Patricio’s Cevicheria, Kwong’s, Pink Panda, Your Local, Linguini Fini, EDSA BDG and Nolita.

One hundred percent of the proceeds will go to Habitat for Humanity, so get ready to spend a little bit of money this weekend and give back this Christmas season. A big plus? You can get some of your Christmas shopping done while you’re in the area. Don’t forget, art is the best gift.