MANILA - When fashion meets passion, there are no limits to one’s creativity to come up with a thoughtful product that sartorial game-changers will truly love.
The biggest question is, how did renowned NGO Hope, creator of the well-loved Hope in a Bottle, dive into the world of retail for clothes with their latest project, Hope in a Shirt?
It turns out that today’s advanced technology can convert 11 recycled plastic bottles into an unbelievably soft cotton shirt. In line with Hope’s drive to build public school classrooms, fashionistas now have a chance to give back while looking très chic in this limited edition innovation, a first in Philippine fashion.
Last Christmas, Hope founder and President Nanette Medved-Po gifted her good friends with these 100% recycled shirts. The gift was a hit among her social circles, who soon spread the word about it — making it impossible for her not to put it out in the market.
One day over coffee, Medved-Po approached Filipina-French celebrity and painter Solenn Heussaff with the idea of creating designs for an exclusive Hope in a Shirt collection.
Heussaff loved it: not only would she be supporting a sustainable lifestyle, she’d also be investing her talents in the future of Filipino kids, by whom her art is inspired in the first place.
“I wanted to stick to something simple, and since Hope focuses on education for the Philippines, [in one of the designs], I drew a kid with flowers. A flower is a symbol of beauty and something that is blossoming. It is through education that these children will blossom,” Heussaff shared in a recent press conference in Manila House in BGC.
With the help of Globis, Inc., every one of Heussaff’s brush and pencil strokes were transformed into high quality textile prints. It’s not an exaggeration to say that Heussaff may as well have painted directly on the shirts, because that’s exactly what it looks like.
Another first in Philippine fashion, the collection is being launched in a special Hope-branded vending machine — an idea inspired by the New York fashion week.
Fans of #SolennArtxHope, as Heussaff and Medved-Po aptly call it, can easily buy the shirts in a quirky recycled plastic bottle packaging. The result is a disruptive and desirable product that celebrates art, innovative sustainability, and a worthwhile cause.
The Hope vendo will pop up in two more surprise locations, for only two to three days each. The shirts are produced in extremely limited quantities — just 200 — so excited shoppers can keep tabs on Hope’s Facebook (@HopeInABottle) and Instagram (@HopeInABottlePH) pages to find out where they’ll pop up.
Those who miss their chance to shop at the vendo caravan can rest easy knowing that the shirts will soon after be available exclusively through Zalora, where the shirts will be packaged in fun pizza boxes.
Each shirt costs P2,000.