Upcyclers, Florists, And Mental Health Advocates: Filipino Baddies To Know
It’s officially Filipino American Heritage Month! This month, we’re celebrating some Filipino* baddies who inspire us daily. These baddies illustrate the varied and intersecting work of climate justice. From upcycling to healing work to designing and even cooking, these sustainable baddies show up for their community and the planet.
*read to learn about why we use Filipino as the preferred gender-inclusive term
Em Bautista is a non-binary and Filipino multi-media artist redefining what it means to love the world around us. Em's project, Mola Mola, transforms thrifted clothing into wearable art, featuring hand-painted patterns that celebrate identity and the planet. Their work extends to sculpting marine life from recycled materials, challenging the concept of disposability while advocating for sustainability.
Selina Eugenio is a California-based artist and founder of the upcycle brand Selina Sanders. Hailing from Laoag City in the Philippines, Sanders draws inspiration from her mother's knack for crafting unique pieces from unlikely fabrics and their shared thrift store adventures, imbuing nostalgia into her fabric choices.
Cambio & Co. is a Filipino-owned jewelry brand based in Toronto and Manila. They combine traditional Filipino craftsmanship with modern design to celebrate Pinay heritage. Every piece is handcrafted in the Philippines with the goal of fostering local connections and the preservation of traditional skills. Their jewelry supports sustainable livelihoods, preserves pre-colonial craftsmanship, and highlights Filipino artistry.
Founded by Rio Cuervo, RIOtaso is a Filipino-owned brand dedicated to repurposing fabric waste into one-of-a-kind pieces. RIOtaso is a play on the Tagalog word 'retaso', meaning scrap fabric, and the founder’s first name, Rio. The brand aims to minimize the fashion industry's environmental impact while promoting fair wages and proper working conditions.
Kimberly Lee is a social media producer, podcast host, and founder of Lucky Stars Market. Founded in 2021, Lee created Lucky Stars Market to make vintage and secondhand shopping a safe space for queer folk, women, and POC. Lee has fostered a diverse community where business owners and secondhand fashion lovers can come together to celebrate style and sustainability.
In Brooklyn, Chef Erika Costa is bringing together a Filipino food revolution with her recently opened food pop-up Patikim. Patikim, which means “to sample” or ”to taste” in Tagalog, is a project intended to introduce Filipino food to people who may have never come into contact with it before.
Kristy Drutman is a Filipino climate activist and the founder of Brown Girl Green and the Green Jobs Board, an Instagram account and website that are comprehensive resources for finding amazing positions with mission-driven climate and eco-justice organizations.
Tyler Ortiz started the horticulture company Halaman (now Halaman y gente) in 2021. Tyler’s grandfather formerly worked for the Department of Agriculture in the Philippines, and their childhood was filled with many plants native to the Philippines. For both Tyler and their co-founder, green spaces are a powerful tool for healing from their individual experiences of diaspora. You can order their plants and bouquets online or stay tuned for their next IRL pop-up!
Photo Credit: NPR
Jia is a Filipino American writer and she is currently a staff writer for the New Yorker. Her first book ever, Trick Mirror, was published in 2019 and quickly made its way to the top of bestseller lists. As a journalist, Jia has written about the overturn of Roe v. Wade, Britney Spears’ Conservatorship, and the Harvey Weinstein trial. Jia’s work often intersects with sustainability topics of minimalism, mutual aid, social justice, and the age of the internet.
So many Filipino Americans are doing wonderful work online and offline beyond this list of baddies. This month of celebration is an opportune time to do your research on Filipino activists, artists, and creators, and invest your time and money in their work.