Anthill Fabric Gallery, together with collaborating partners, Lu France Interiors, Bago.LA, and Oodaalolly, held a successful Pop-Up event at Dynamico Space in San Francisco on 18 April 2022. The Philippine Trade and Investment Center-Silicon Valley (PTIC-SV) and the Philippine Consulate General supported the Pop-Up as part of the export promotion and startup development initiatives on sustainable fashion.
With the theme “Balikbayan”, the pop-up advocated for Filipino-Americans to rediscover their roots by bringing the Philippines to them through the fabrics and products of Filipino and FILAM startups. Each product and fabric tell a story of the Philippines and the Filipino artisans and weavers. Slow Fashion (Sustainable and conscious fashion) is a niche market for the Philippines with the FILAM diaspora contributing to its growing consumer base, and the increasing popularity among US consumers who wants the fashion industry to become more sustainable and fairer business practices.
A highlight of the gathering was the Heartwoven Conversations among collaborators, guests, and event partners. As Anthill’s Instagram post pointed out, “our conversation anchored on the word BALIKBAYAN went beyond the box. Returning home for those in our culture circle meant embracing the multiple identities we carry. “The box represents the people”, @bago.la founder @brandon.comerx shares. Coming from our layered roots, we facilitate an exchange of ideas, stories, knowledge, and beliefs grounded in reciprocity. We fulfill our desire to give and receive based on our genuine understanding of each other’s needs. BALIKBAYAN becomes a bridge for meaningful connections. Exactly what this pop up facilitated for us”.
The SF Pop-Up was curated by Anthill (https://anthillmarkets.com https://anthillfabrics.com). Anthill is a social and cultural enterprise working on elevating Filipino culture through contemporary and circular design. Anthill works with five community partners representing the urban, rural, and indigenous sectors.
Other collaborators of the Pop-Up were:
Lu France Interiors (https://www.instagram.com/lufranceinteriors/), a San Diego, CA-based company. Its collections pay homage to the work, skills, traditions, and artistry of its makers. It believes in the sustainable and ethical business practices by carefully choosing the small businesses and artisans. Their products range from naturally dyed textiles, room sprays in Philippine-flower scents, coffee & flower-scented candles, and also features textiles for a cause which benefits Filipino foster care children in Los Angeles County.
Bago.LA (https://bago.la) is a Filipino-American luxury streetwear brand dedicated to family, heritage, and community. It is a start of a journey to discover and define oneself. It seeks to preserve Filipino heritage by directly collaborating with Filipino businesses and indigenous artisans, showcasing their craft through their designs.
Oodaalolly chocolate (https://www.oodaalolly.com) located in San Francisco, California, is made in small batches, perfectly capturing the specific flavors and nuances of cacao beans grown in the Philippines, hand-selected and sourced directly from small cacao co-ops in the Southern Davao region. Using Swiss techniques, Oodaalolly ensures that their chocolates always have that satisfying snap, silky texture, and sense of delight that real chocolate lovers crave.
Also, in celebration of April as Filipino Food Month, the Pop-Up also featured Balast Coffee (Kapeng Barako) and Ube Galore Breads and more.
Dynamico Space (https://dynamico.space), is set up and managed by a group of Fil-Am entrepreneurs, hosted the event. Dynamico offers flexible co-working space for startups, businesses, and other organizations, and serves as community and networking hub for entrepreneurs. ♦
Date of Release: 27 April 2022