More than 50 percent of a person’s clothes are not worn in a year. Nearly 30 percent of items in an American closet have never been worn. In the Philippines, 65 percent threw away a piece of clothing in 2017 (many of which end up in landfills), and one in five says their reason is because the clothing is no longer “in season”. These results seen in YouGov Omnibus’ online research, as well as Movinga’s worldwide survey and the Nordstrom Trunk Club’s study, show a real world problem.
This is why a new and rising local brand may just be the next best thing to enter your closet.
Aruga Studio’s first collection, which they launched on the 27th of June, offers a variety of timeless pieces for both men and women, ranging from polos to dresses, all of which can help you make your next purchase a little bit less regrettable.
Not only that, this small business also aims to foster Filipino pride by bringing Filipino craftsmanship closer to your wardrobes and daily lives.
Each day is made of decisions. This includes choosing what to wear or deciding what item to buy, with hopefully the least regret possible. Aruga Studio’s pieces, aiming for versatility and handmade by Filipinos, will hopefully help ease your mind with that decision.
The designs of each clothing are made to be worn for every occasion—your next trip to Boracay, date night with your special someone, wine night to catch up with the girls, to name a few. They are also enduring and made for your capsule wardrobe. You can visualize yourself wearing them repeatedly through the years, and you will never go out of style. With this, it is the mission of Aruga Studio to curate timeless pieces which enhance the versatility of one’s wardrobe.
Incorporating traditional Philippine fibers such as piña into the designs of their apparel and sourcing packaging for their products made of tampipi (native pandan or palm leaves) are efforts to give appreciation to the hand-woven products beautifully made by local artisans. Needless to say, their finished products would not have been possible without their local seamstresses whom they credit for being very skillful and talented in their craft. Thus, Aruga Studio envisions to provide an avenue for Filipino craftsmanship through fashion.
The production of limited quantities enables Aruga Studio’s customers to take delight in the uniqueness of every piece of clothing they purchase, and at the same time, reduce waste resulting from overproduction. The same idea was employed in sourcing reusable packaging for their products. They acknowledge that there is a long way to go in achieving complete sustainability and zero waste; however, they believe that this is just the beginning of their initiative to give back to the environment.
