Send Me Back to Fashion School

Hi! I'm Abby Laine, more commonly known as "Yna", and I am a 24-year old freelance fashion designer, and local textiles advocate from the Philippines. I graduated BS Business Administration from the University of the Philippines, Diliman last June 2016 and worked in the advertising and fashion industry from 'til 2018. I decided to leave the corporate world to follow my passion and live my life's purpose: to help promote the local fashion industry.

I am creating this campaign to seek help to send myself to a fashion school which will be very helpful in my advocacy. Both my parents no longer have a job. I currently create made-to-measure ladies wear, from casual to formal and do graphic design and copywriting to sustain myself while I devote most of my time going around the Philippines to learn more about the country's culture, specifically local textile production. Unfortunately, what I am earning is not enough to send myself to school. My current knowledge in textiles and garment construction is not yet enough to get the right clients so fashion school will really help me a lot.


Through my digital platforms and by joining fashion shows, I hope to promote cultural awareness by producing videos and blogs and creating couture collections featuring different textiles and the people behind these beautiful creations.

Currently the country is facing many issues that sometimes, honestly, would make me frustrated being a Filipino, but then I remember that there are still a lot of things about the Philippines to be proud of and I personally chose our indigenous cultures, how it has stood the test of time despite years of colonizaton and modernization, specifically the ingenuity of Filipinos in producing textiles; from connecting to their spirituality before the process, extracting the fibers from natural resources, to weaving the intricate patterns. The culture is slowly dying so together with other advocates of this cause, we hope that with our little but sincere ventures, we will be able to help preserve the culture and pass it on to the next generations.


If I get financial help, I will enroll myself in a fashion school in Manila. Every subject costs around $225and to complete the course, I need to take 4 subjects every trimester for 2 years. My current earnings can help me in my transportation and food allowance.

I am humbly asking for your help and I will be very thankful for it. I can even update you with my progress. Nothing is more important to me than this dream.

Thank you!

OTHER DETAILS

Skills: Fashion Design, Graphic Design, Travel and Fashion Photography, Creative Direction, Marketing

Advocacies: Promoting Local Textiles, Mental Health Awareness

Mentor: Felipe de Leon Jr, former chairman of NCCA


Fashion Shows:

Philippine Fashion Gala (June 2018, Green Sun Hotel)
The Grand Affair (June 2017, City Garden Grand Hotel)
Equinox Designers Week (March 2017, Golden Phoenix Hotel)
Likha Benefit Fashion Show (2014, Amoranto Sports Complex)
Artetekta Benefit Fashion Show (April 2013, SMX Convention Center)


Corporate Experience:

Junior Project Manager, Impact Training and Consultancy Services
Fashion Marketing Executive, Omnimoda International


Education:

BS Business Administration, University of the Philippines
Garments Construction and Fashion Design, Style and Design Academy, Manila (unfinished due to lack of funds)
Innovation Entrepreneurship (Short Online Course), Massachusetts Institute of Technology