Nakahanap ng oportunidad ang Sydneysider na si Vanessa Mordeno dahil sa pangangailangan.
Ninais ni Vanessa na magsuot ng tradisyonal na damit sa kanyang citizenship ceremony sa Australya nitong Hunyo 20. Ngunit, di niya akalaing mahihirapan siya sa kanyang paghahanap.
"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," saad niya.
Ayon din sa kanya, di katulad ng mga Indians na madalas magsuot ng tradisyunal na damit, mas pinipili ng mga Pilipino na magsuot ng mga off-the rack cocktail dresses at gowns kapag may espesyal na okasyon.
"I'm going to become an Australian, but I really want to wear something Philippine-made." Source: Vanessa Mordeno
Ngunit habang hindi malakas ang benta ng barong sa Australya, may mga interesado pa ring mamimili na naghahanap nito sa internet. Dahil dito, binuo niya ang kanyang home-based hobby na Barong at Bestida Australia.
Dahil sa kanyang kagustuhang magsuot ng Filipiniana sa kanyang citizenship ceremony, nakahanap si Vanessa ng supplier sa Bulacan na gumagawa ng modernong Filipiniana.
"It's not often that you see Pinoys wearing traditional outfits on the street, in the mall, in the park; 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," aniya.
Vanessa found a supplier in Bulacan that creates wearable, versatile and modern Filipiniana. Source: Vanessa Mordeno
At sa lahat ng mga disenyong binebenta niya, ang pinaka-popular ay ang puting barong dress na hawig sa isinuot ng artistang si 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," saad niya.
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
At habang hobby lang ang pagbebenta niya ng Filipiniana sa ngayon, dahil dito, may dagdag siyang kinikita habang inaalagaan niya ang kanyang anak.
"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. I mostly entertain clients and inquiries at night and, during the day, I schedule posts on the page," aniya.
Sa ngayon, ang mga kliyente ni Vanessa ay mula Australya, New Zealand at Sweden. Iniisip din niyang magbenta ng mga damit na pambata.
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."
BASAHIN DIN
