Daily Malong, a Pinay-owned fashion brand centered around empowering indigenous artists and weavers in the Philippines, participated in this year's New York Fashion Week produced by hiTechMODA. Featured photo shot by Guerrilla Davis.
Lydia Querian, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Daily Malong, aimed to build awareness of “uncommon" Filipino textiles in a more prominent platform like New York Fashion Week. Querian said, "I decided to work with hiTechMODA because they promote fashion brands focused on environmental, sustainability, and inclusivity." Lydia recently styled MTV star Princess Mae for her Pinay Magazine Los Angeles billboard shoot in Hawaii. Watch the exclusive BTS video below:
Daily Malong's debut in NY Fashion Week was themed around "Indigenous is the Future." The term "indigenous" is often associated with old, ancient, or primitive. Daily Malong's latest collection wanted to change that narrative by bringing the indigenous to the present and future. Daily Malong was built to help the Pilipinx in the diaspora better understand themselves through fashion as they navigate their identity.
Daily Malong partnered with Darzah, a Palestinian woman-owned nonprofit and ethical fashion brand. Darzah worked with refugee and low-income women artisans in Palestine's West Bank who handcrafted and hand-embroider each of Darzah's pieces.
Daily Malong also partnered with Maggie's Box. A Filipino brand offering a variety of footwear for women on the go. Each of their shoes is handcrafted in the Philippines.
Darzah and Maggie's Box provided Daily Malong footwear to complete the runway
looks. Daily Malong’s curated partners share the same goal of celebrating and preserving each other's cultures on a big platform, such as New York Fashion Week.
"Bringing indigenous weaving practices to the future perpetuates time-tested traditions, helping the present and protecting the future," said Querian. "Each indigenous textile worn today helps wearers and weavers navigate societal atrocities, prevent climate change, and restore a more sustainable environment."
Daily Malong's runway took place on September 10, 2021, at the Edison Hotel. See more photos in the gallery:
For more information on
Daily Malong, visit their website at www.dailymalong.com and their Instagram and Facebook DailyMalong.
About Daily Malong
Daily Malong strives to empower Indigenous Filipino artisans to continue their living traditions by extending appreciation in the diaspora. Daily Malong is an ecommerce store promoting the application of indigenous handwoven textiles on modern wearables offering handwoven products sourced from different indigenous communities in the Philippines through different apparels, accessories and home goods. The store is proud of its sustainable operations by
working directly with communities.
About the Designer:
Lydia Querian is a designer, dancer, and musician who left her corporate career to pursue social entrepreneurship. She is originally from the Philippines and now based in San Francisco. She’s done several collaborations and performances, having toured nationally and internationally
with Dancing Earth, KulArts, Parangal Dance Company and Fusion Dance Project. Querian was a featured artist at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in 201. Lydia completed Fashion Design and Fashion business certification from Parsons New School and as her work evolves, she frequently
immerses with indigenous communities in both Southern and Northern Philippines.
