Mercado Vicente to Showcase Filipino Brands in Pop-up
Mercado Vicente is closing out Filipino American History Month with a pop-up dedicated to Filipino goods.
The online index for Filipinx creatives, which was created by fashion consultant Jan Vincent Gonzales last spring, is hosting a pop-up, The Apartment, on Oct. 24 to Oct. 25. The Apartment will operate like a press day, showcasing designs from 18 Filipino brands. It will be by appointment only for COVID-19 safety purposes.
Speaking to WWD, Gonzales said he wanted to open The Apartment to the public because “we need a network that supports Filipinx talent.”
“There’s validity in us being the second-largest Asian-American population in the United States,” Gonzales said. “Having this physical space of The Apartment allows people to see what it would be like to have Filipino brands exist in this space and make a difference. That’s the most important thing: to be able to take up space.”
The Apartment will feature footwear (Andante, Josanna, Nicole Saldana); fashion (Back Beat Co., Continuous Play, House of Basilica, Tropical Futures Institute); accessories (Bondi, Clarisse Provido, Lorenz Ortiz, Maaari); jewelry (Limnia); men’s wear (Christopher Cabalona); skin care (Redoux) and home goods (Fili, Mamasun Ceramics, Sacha Carlos-Raps, Santos Candles). It will also feature work by artists in Mercado Vicente’s index.
“It’s all Filipino, from the candles you’re smelling in the air to the art you’re seeing on the wall to the clothes [and] shoes you’re trying on,” Gonzales said.
Gonzales founded Mercado Vicente to give voice to the rich narratives of Filipino culture that are overlooked by mainstream media. An extension of the web site, The Apartment is meant to exhibit underrepresented Filipino brands.
“We are here to pioneer a different way [to] think about the fashion industry,” Gonzales said. “It’s also an invitation for all Southeast Asian people to do this within their communities. Having people like this and spaces like this helps with representation and moving us forward with better products to be able to have a more sustainable business.”
More from WWD.com:
Fashion Consultant Launches Online Index for Filipino Creatives
How Sunnies Face Is Universalizing Filipino Beauty
Josie Natori: Concertos and Collecting
Best of WWD
Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
