Hi! I'm Yna Mendez, known as the #DesignerWithAPurpose from the Philippines. I dedicated my fashion design career to promoting our country's indigenous cultures, most especially those which haven't got much attention. I successfully showcased the textiles and culture of Sagada, Mountain Province and Malilipot and Camalig, Albay Province. Through a short immersion with these communities, my documentaries on YouTube and by purchasing several rolls of their textiles and use for the big fashion shows that I have participated in, plus the digital marketing efforts and collaborations I made with the local government, I was able to divert the focus of the audience to these less-known beautiful communities here in the Philippines.
However, this advocacy is very costly. In fact, to be honest, nothing goes to me. I even get myself in a lot of debt, but before, I can manage because I had a day job on the side. But since my disorder started to become worse, I am no longer fit to work. For a while I thought I'll never be able to continue my advocacy because of my condition, until I remembered I had a gogetfunding account. This platform has helped me in my Albay collection.
Despite this situation, I would still want to continue my advocacy as I have always believed that this is my purpose... I am not a designer for my own benefit. I am a designer for a reason, and the biggest part of it is to contribute in keeping our precious and dying cultures alive. The art of textile weaving, which was once one of the main source of living alongside rice planting, is slowly dying. Although efforts have been made, there is still much to do, and this is my own little way for it.
I hope that you could help me continue my advocacy. I am invited in a big fashion show in the Philippines and it would be a great avenue for me to continue promoting my chosen cultures.
The next community that I will be featuring are the Hablon Weavers of Ilo-ilo, and I plan to fly there during the Hablon Festival. I hope you would help me raise funds for the following:
- transportation to and within Iloilo (2pax): P20,000
- lodging P2,000
- the fabric itself P30,000
- labor of the seamstresses P10,000
- joining fee for the fashion show P50,000
- talent fee for models P10,000
The outputs of this project would be:
- A 10-piece collection made out of Hablon
- Showcasing this collection in a well-known fashion show in the Philippines (to be announced soon)
- A documentary about the life and culture of the Hablon weavers of Miag-ao
- Lookbook and fashion film of the collection in Ilo-ilo
- Promotion through digital, press and PR
I really hope you can help me. Any amount of do as I will also try my best to find other ways to complete the target amount.
Sincerely, Yna
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