triART's co(lab) of Creativity and Fashion Pushes For A Goal to Zero

When we view clothes, style, or just fashion in general, we don't really think about the environment, do we? Whether you can admit it or not, it's all good. We’ve all been there. This is because the concepts of both fashion and the environment aren't often associated with each other in a good way. Why you may ask? Well, it's simple really, you see it, you want it, and when you have it, you'll dress good and feel good, that's it. Be that as it may, we really need to take a step back and look at the bigger picture to see how the fashion and retail industry breeds consequences for the environment.

With all the craze towards the presence of brands, fashion, exclusive collabs, and alike, these factors insist on involving ourselves with the latest trends in terms of style because of social media through mood boards and along with everything else. This creates a feeling of sudden urgency to be up to date with those trends and a frame of mind to have more and more. If you still don't get what I mean, I'm talking about fast fashion and how it doesn't just affect consumers but also the planet. Philippine-based triART, is a start-up that has found the middle ground and the best of both worlds in terms of consumerism via fast fashion and environmental consciousness. 

triART is an E-commerce and retail business that offers various services for artists, brands, creatives, and the public. Their goal is to create a new wave of doing business by shifting from traditional retail industry practices to a better one, as they seek a zero-waste initiative in this commercial world. The aforementioned business offerings provide services such as conceptualizing designs, production of goods, management, storage and accommodates products via online retail. In line with this, they've also ventured into livelihood creation through their business by situating their production facility in one of the resettlement areas of Typhoon Ondoy victims as they aid in generating employment.

If you're wondering how their concept works, then their so-called triART (co)lab series will give you an overview. This series enables creatives to work hand-in-hand with triART through collaboration to monetize their works by producing garments and merchandise. This is done by creating a campaign featuring the artists' designs for a 30-day period and offering a pre-order basis. Once the design has amassed the number needed at the end of the 30-day mark, production begins. Since they operate on a pre-order basis, there are no surplus and no reruns. Making what you bought exclusive and collectible. Apart from contributing to the small batch "hype" factor, it also accomplishes its goal of implementing zero-waste fashion.

So far, there have already been three occasions of triART's (co)lab series, they've collaborated and developed "art-wear" with Tropical Futures Institute (@tropicalfutures), various artists such as Jappy Agoncillo (@jappylemon) and Distort Monsters (@distortmonsters), musician Because (@because0801), and they were the partner of CARELESS MUSIC in fabricating merchandise for Nadine Lustre's 2020 album, Wildest Dreams. Considering everything that's been said, triART has innovated its own way of battling climate change while also empowering artists by bringing their designs to life and giving them a platform to share their work in promotion and earning through sales. 

To wrap things up, it wouldn’t be so farfetched to consider triART as a social enterprise. There aren't many brands that do what they do. Whether they are or not, they are taking steps into the right direction by not only tapping sustainability in fashion, but also blending it with art and providing a spotlight for creatives as the heart of what they do. To discover more about the brand, you can head over to their website, https://triart.ph/, or visit their Instagram page (@triart.ph) to learn more about supporting our local artists while doing your part for the environment.

Words: Diego Canezo

Photos: triart