Fame banks on Earth-friendly fashion products

DESPITE problems in the export industry, the Fashion Accessories Manufacturers and Exporters (Fame) Foundation hopes to sustain their businesses by promoting green products.

During the opening of the Bijoux Cebu fashion accessories trade show held at the Mactan Shangri-La Resort Hotel Saturday, Fame launched its Green Waters Program, which aims to protect shells that are used in their fashion jewelry.

Updates on President Benigno Aquino III's presidency

“The Philippine fashion accessories industry relies on our country’s vast natural resources as the raw materials for our products. While our members have always been responsible in the selection and use of natural resources in the past, we have been wanting to go beyond responsible use and start advocating responsible stewardship,” said Fame Foundation president Janet Chua.

Chua, who is also the Go Green Philippines chairperson, explained the program ensures the sustainability of natural resources used in their accessories and supports grassroots communities connected to the resources that they use.

Before the Green Waters program, Fame already launched Green Earth in 2007, a reforestation program in partnership with the Hiniusang Mag-uuma sa Catmon (Himasaca).

Chua said foreign buyers have taken an interest in the project and have donated funds to sustain the program.

The trees planted are the same ones used in the making of wooden beads that make up the fashion accessories.

For this year, they are creating marine sanctuaries aimed at protecting shells and corals.

Fame also chose four “green ambassadors” to help promote the Go Green Philippines initiative.

The four ambassadors are environmentalist Adrien Semblat, Miss Earth 2008 Karla Henry, actor Richard Gutierrez and model Isabella Daza.

Chua said they asked the ambassadors to talk about the project while working on their own advocacies.

This year’s Bijoux Cebu features the exporters’ Spring-Summer Collection, with a theme centering on nature’s four basic elements of earth, wind, fire and water. Chua said this year’s show features about 40 exhibitors and targets about 200 buyers.

“We are hopeful that we would still be able to exceed last year’s booked sales, which stood at more than $1 million,” Chua told reporters.

Countries like US and Europe are still the main markets of the industry but Chua said they are also looking at Japan, China and Australia as potential markets.

“This year is really better compared with the last two years,” said Butch Carungay of Avatar. He said there was a decline in orders in the previous years due to the global economic downturn. But Carungay said the industry has slowly recovered.