Necessity nudged Sydneysider Vanessa Mordeno to create an opportunity.
A native of Davao, Vanessa dreams of donning traditional Filipino garb during her citizenship ceremony in Australia. However, she found the search to be more challenging than expected.
"I'm going to become an Australian, but I really want to wear something Philippine-made. I want to show off our traditional clothes during the ceremony and show how rich our culture is. It's sad but there are very limited opportunities for us to do this," she shares.
Vanessa adds that unlike Indian people who typically wear their traditional clothes during special occasions, Filipinos tend to opt for off-the-rack cocktail dresses and gowns. She believes that this dilemma is cyclical - that our Filipiniana resources abroad are limited and, that resources are limited because there is no strong demand for them.
"I'm going to become an Australian, but I really want to wear something Philippine-made." Source: Supplied by Vanessa Moderno/Snap Moments Photography
While the demand for barong may not be strong in Australia, Vanessa says that there are certainly interested buyers scouring the internet for traditional Filipino clothing. This inspired her to establish her home-based hobby, Barong at Bestida Australia.
Prompted by her desire to wear traditional Filipino clothing during her citizenship ceremony, this self-proclaimed non-fashionista shares that she did her research and found a supplier in Bulacan that creates wearable, versatile and modern Filipiniana.
"It's not often that you see Pinoys wearing traditional outfits on the street, in the mall, in the park," she shares, adding, "But with the barongs we sell, they're versatile and flexible. You can wear them on a special event or on a casual day. You can style them in different ways - wear them with a skirt, with pants, with boots or even with a coat if it's winter."
Vanessa found a supplier in Bulacan that creates wearable, versatile and modern Filipiniana. Source: Supplied by Vanessa Moderno
Out of all of the versatile designs offered by Barong at Bestida Australia, Vanessa shares that their top seller is their classic white barong dress inspired by the attire worn by Philippine actress, Marian Rivera.
"Marian Rivera wore a designer dress similar to what we have. Her photo circulated in social media for quite a while. I've noticed these past few months that that dress would sell quickly," she shares.
Vanessa shares that their top seller is their classic white barong dress inspired by the attire worn by Philippine actress, Marian Rivera. Source: Vanessa Mordeno
And while selling Filipiniana is just a mere hobby at the moment, it allows Vanessa to earn extra money while she looks after her son.
"It's something I can do on the side. I can't work full-time as a nurse because I have a three year old boy," she shares, adding, "I mostly entertain clients and inquiries at night and, during the day, I schedule posts on the page."
At the moment, Vanessa is catering to clients in Australia, New Zealand and Sweden. She is also currently looking into adding a children's line to her offerings.
Selling Filipiniana is just a mere hobby at the moment, but it allows Vanessa to earn extra money while she looks after her son. Source: Vanessa Mordeno
"I get inquiries regarding Filipiniana that kids can wear for Harmony Day and the like. I'm planning to incorporate children's sizes probably towards the end of this year. I want something flexible for them too so they don't only wear them during special occasions."
ALSO READ
