Sustainable Filipino clothing brand, YNDAN, collaborates with 23-year-old, Giño Albiño, on a culturally rich new collection of apparel

Words Mika Reyes
Photos courtesy of YNDAN
August 13, 2024

In the bustling town of Indang, Cavite, a quiet revolution is unfolding. At the heart of it is YNDAN, a Filipino clothing label celebrated for its unwavering commitment to slow fashion and community empowerment. With a firm foundation in tradition and a keen eye on the future, YNDAN has showed us in more ways than one how the legacy of Filipino clothing should be carried on. And now, with its latest collaboration, it’s bringing wearable art to the forefront in a way that challenges conventions and invites a deeper connection with culture.

Getting the Youth’s Perspective

Recently, the sustainable fashion brand has collaborated with Gino Abiño, a 23-year-old artist whose work has already begun to make waves in the art world. A graduate of the University of Santo Tomas College of Fine Arts and Design, Abiño’s creations are anything but ordinary. His surreal images, often featuring animal-headed figures, are a striking blend of the fantastical and the abstract. They provoke thought, invite questions, and, most importantly, make us pause and consider the complexities of humanity and the world around us.

This collaboration between YNDAN and Abiño is a marriage of art and fashion that feels almost inevitable. Abiño’s art, with its deep roots in Cavite’s cultural legacy, finds a natural home in YNDAN’s ethos of preserving tradition. The pieces born from this collaboration are canvases that tell stories, provoke conversations, and celebrate the rich tapestry of Filipino culture.

The Way of Weaving

At the core of YNDAN’s mission is a dedication to traditional handloom weaving, a craft that has been passed down through generations in Cavite. By incorporating Abiño’s surrealist imagery into their textiles, YNDAN is preserving a dying art form, while breathing new life into it. Each piece in this collection is a testament to the power of collaboration, where the old and the new come together to create something truly unique.

For Abiño, this collaboration is an opportunity to push the boundaries of his own work. His wearable art pieces challenge the wearer to embrace individuality and creativity, to step outside the norms and express themselves in ways that are both bold and deeply personal. From intricately designed tops to statement-making garments, each piece is a work of art in its own right, offering a fresh perspective on what fashion can be.

The collection is now available online, inviting art enthusiasts and fashion aficionados alike to experience the fusion of art and fashion like never before. This collaboration between YNDAN and Gino Abiño is a reminder that fashion can be more than just clothing—it can be a form of self-expression, a celebration of culture, and a vehicle for meaningful change.

As you wear these pieces, you’re supporting a movement that values sustainability, community, and the preservation of tradition. You’re wearing a story, one that connects you to the rich cultural legacy of Cavite and the vibrant creativity of a young artist who is just getting started.