Revitalize! Circular Economy Workshop in High Fashion
Baguio City, Philippines — As the “Ukay-Ukay Capital of the Philippines,” Baguio City has long been a treasure trove for thrift lovers. However, our bustling secondhand culture comes with a hidden cost: an overwhelming amount of textile waste heading straight for local landfills.
During this year’s Creative Industries Month, a brilliant event rose to challenge this narrative: Revitalize!
It is the third iteration of the Revitalize concept (the second held at Lafaayette luxury Suites Baguio; a unique two-in-one experience instigated by De Stijl Image Reinvented, merging an interactive upcycling workshop and a high fashion runway presentation into a single, change inspiring afternoon. Hosted in the grandiose ballroom of the Lafaayette Luxury Suites Baguio, the event proved that sustainability and high style can coexist beautifully without compromise.
A Prelude in the Lobby: Pivoting Through the Storms
The rainy season brought endless stormy weather throughout August and into early September that forced a last minute change of venue for the fashion exhibit, moving from Malcolm Square to the indoor luxury of Lafayette Suites.
Walking into the lobby your eyes get their first taste at what is to follow in the ballroom – an exhibition of each of the attending designer’s works. Some designers I recognized from previous events hosted by De Stijl, while others, such as ZP Designs, Arkamdel and Cynthus are first time exhibitors.
The lobby exhibit gave arriving guests a stunning, tangible taste of the creativity to come, with distinct highland representation within the fabrics – traditional Cordilleran inabel and the ubiquitous, ever popular denim, mixed and matched with modern aesthetics.
Arriving early, I watched the ballroom transform. While hair and makeup artists meticulously plied their trade behind the scenes, and stage directions being given to the runway models, many of which are young stars outfitted in children’s fashion, wearing the roadmap to a sustainable future.
Hands On Change: The “Turn Up Tote ” Workshop
Supported by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Creative Council of Baguio, the event kicked off at 3:00 PM with the Turn Up Tote upcycling workshop.
The session began with an insightful design ideation talk by Charlyn Presco of Charm of Charl Creations. From there, designers, creative students, and fashion enthusiasts took on the challenge to rethink fashion waste. Armed with heat-press machines, glue guns and discarded materials, participants learned the art of upcycling, recycling, refashioning, and repair while crafting their own custom upcycled tote bags.
The Runway: Baguio Designers Redefining the Circular Economy
The energy shifted toward the grandiose ballroom’s runway for the main event: The spectacular fashion show. Models from De Stijl Image Reinvented, alongside featured models, glided down the runway wearing breathtaking collections from local Baguio designers who completely reinvented waste:
- ZP Designs (Zenny Pilsona): Stunned the crowd by opening the show with gorgeous garments meticulously crafted from thrifted blankets and sofa covers and reused denim, drawing on the intersection of feminine looks, feminisim and girl power, through a sartorial lens
- Arkamdel (Maridel Esalley) & Cynthus (Cynthia Miles): Delivered masterclasses in textile reinvention, featuring show-stopping upcycled denim creations. Arkamdel showing their cowboy couture designs and Cynthus upcycling denim with a vivienne westwood-esque punk flair
- AltheaZ PH (Mary Grace Glorydelle Zapanta): Proved that “Disney Princess” and “runway queen” can co-exist within the vocabulary of reused materials with her playful and intricate styles.
- Khaliflower (Stephanie Degawan): gave us One Piece inspired, street smart, steam punk looks. combining upcycled denim fast-fashion with intricate detailing made from broken, salvaged jewelry.
- Badbado Benguet (Mary Grace Lee): Seamlessly fused upcycled denim with traditional Benguet Inabel weaving, giving streetwear silhouettes bold highland highlights
- Aveline’s Cordilleran Handloom Woven Products incorporate inabel offcuts and rhinestones shaped in Ave’s distinct flame motif or in select Kankanaey, and Ibaloi words into the designs as shown in her Turn Up Totes.
- Charm of Charl Creations (Charlyn Presco): Rounding out the show, her patchwork of houndstooth and tartan give a traditional silhouette a subversive, avant garde feel, highlighting that ukay ukay finds and fine designs are not mutually exclusive.
A Shared Vision for the Future
What made Revitalize! truly distinct was its interactive spirit. The runway didn’t just belong to the designers; attending guests who participated in the workshop were invited to step onto the runway and show off their own freshly made upcycled totebag creations.
Backed by a supportive crowd of parents, guardians, and local sustainability advocates, the afternoon concluded with a sumptuous buffet. Gathered around standing tables while enjoying the catering provided, the ballroom transformed into a hub of meaningful conversations; a space where Baguio’s creative community could network and brainstorm real solutions for a local circular economy.
Revitalize! 2026 wasn’t just a fashion show; it was a stylish, purposeful blueprint for the future of sustainable fashion.
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