The Fash with Fashionalism
Fashionalism, a portmanteau of FASHION and NATIONALISM seems to have established its place in the Philippine fashion industry. The term from Rhett Eala who created a collection of collared shirts and polos for the brand Collezione C2 using the Philippine archipelago for its main design. From polo shirts that bear the map of the Philippines to the more formal terno or Filipiniana, the trend of fashionalism has been on the rise. The “Pinoy Pride” sensation became an effective way of pronouncing one's nationalism - identifying oneself through these commodities. Regionalism or tribalism is the consciousness or in group loyalty through possession of a strong cultural or ethnic identity. This best explains its success to the Filipino consumers. With its claim to fame by peaking our Filipino identity and consciousness, those who support fashionalism often argue that through it, we are making history and nationalism more viable and marketable to the youth. Those who were not familiar w...