MANILA, Philippines — The Filipiniana goes beyond baro’t saya in the age of the empowered Filipina. Gone are the days when Filipiniana was only worn to weddings and official functions that required it as the dress code; back when its only permutation for women was the butterfly sleeve with distressed jeans, a look that’s been done and done. Just look at Marga Nograles’ Kaayo Tangkulo scarves, Anne Marie Saguil’s Violet Vine shorts, and Looie Lobregat’s Linea Etnika’s Himaya halter tops — all fortunately and unfortunately perennially sold out whenever they make an appearance in any of Manila’s haute three-day-only pop-ups and fairs. They are now essentials in a fashion girl’s wardrobe, whether worn as statement pieces (like how partylist representative Emmeline Aglipay Villar styles the Tangkulo with sleek eveningwear) or as elevated basics for semi-formal occasions (as seen on Marga Valdes wearing a Yakan traditional bride jacket Linea Etnika) or for an effortless daytime look (as a model demonstrates in a color-blocked tunic and shorts pairing by Violet Vine). For those looking to make it theirs too, they are now more accessible at a Kultura near you.
Seizing its top-of-mind positioning as the one-stop-shop for the best the Philippines has to offer, local independent slow fashion now has a more accessible venue through the Kultura AlterNATIVE collection available in selected SM Stores. They will also carry Kaayo’s blazers, hand-embroidered and beaded by the T’Bolis; Violet Vine’s skirts, tunics and dresses; and Linea Etnika’s Yakan woven patterns from Zamboanga City in shifts and jackets.
Enriching the collection, Kultura brands, too, give a fresh spin to exquisite Philippine embroidery: Nuevo Ystilo does it on delicately woven fabric in contemporary silhouettes; Raffaella works it onto hand-painted abaca, piña, and silk cocoon; and La Herminia and Tygie applies it to modern takes on Filipino traditional clothing.
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Kultura’s AlterNATIVE collection is now available at Kultura stores located at SM Aura Premier, SM Makati, SM Megamall, SM Mall of Asia, SM Lanang Premier, SM City Cebu, SM Seaside, and SM City Cebu. Kultura boutiques are also located in Pico de Loro, Taal Vista, and the Molo Mansion, Iloilo. Visit http://www.kulturafilipino.com to discover more or follow @kulturafashion on Instagram for updates.