THE designs one could see from Dabawenyo designers Rodwel “Prince Chow Chow” Poral and Egay Ayag speak of uniqueness and awesome craftsmanship. All of them represent distinct Filipino heritage and design.
These two passionate designers and entrepreneurs are behind the homegrown brand Design8ph. Their collections for each season have been bringing pride for Davao while being showcased in the renowned Panasonic Manila Fashion Festival (PMFF) in Edsa Shangrila. They have also been part of another prestigious annual trade fair, the Manila FAME, which is spearheaded by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (Citem).
“We intend to market our line as a hand made and locally produced product to differentiate itself for its originality, exclusivity, and distinction of Filipino heritage and design,” Rowel shared.
Rowel proudly narrated that their brand “was founded with our mutual interest both passionate in fashion, design and style and Illustrado’s Top 100 Most Influential Filipino Designers around the globe, and a member of Davao Fashion and Design Council Inc., (DFDCI).”
While making sure that the Filipino culture lives on, Rowel and Egay are working with a women’s community in Davao City as well as with artisans and weavers across the country.
“We continuously aim to help our dearest partners in their livelihood, especially during these trying economic times,” Rowel said.
The Bakyang Toe and Bag’Gella are two of their designs that really caught this writer’s attention. They are not just unique but full of “expressions'' as well. Have you ever thought of seeing footwear engraved with a bahay kubo?
“As a designer, I love heritage, and as an artist, there’s always room for excitement as I’m thirsty of the things from the past that can be eventually re-developed and upgraded into a new one without compromising its beauty,” Rowel said adding that Tatay Ely, the artisan who introduced the bakya to them, already passed away. However, they are glad that he left something with them. And, yes, they will keep their promise to help the community continuously.
In the meantime, the fully beaded Bag’gella bags got their inspiration from the city’s different tribes.
“Aside from providing their community a livelihood, we are also promoting our locally made products to the international market,” they proudly revealed.
Apart from these uniquely designed footwear and bags, the real-life and business partners have produced personal protective equipment (PPE) for the frontliners as well. Meanwhile, those who want to own fashionable PPE suits can check their designs, too.
Amid the crisis the world is facing now, they have realized that “we are learning life lessons” and the need to reset priorities.
“The situation, hopefully, is helping us to reprioritize our time and our life purpose. I hope we can use this time to find ourselves and realize what truly matters to us and allows us to live our best life,” Rowel emphasized.
“Let’s carry these lessons with us as we move forward so that we, as a society, are better as a whole because of this experience. Let’s not make the same mistakes we have been making,” he concluded.
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If you have special events and fashion tips to share, or just want to discuss any fashion-related concerns with me, you are always free to reach me at mendoza.jennygrace@gmail.com. You may also follow Purple’s Nook on Facebook for more updates.