Fast fashion brands have their way of gaining profit despite the horrible truth behind the pieces they sell. When, in fact, the pressure to sell cheaper clothes on high volumes has damaged the welfare of a lot of laborers who toll under exploitative working conditions.

The process of fast fashion is not environmentally friendly either. According to a research published in Nature Reviews Earth and Environment, the fashion industry is accountable for the build up of over 92 million tonnes of waste, chemical pollution, and high levels of CO2 emissions every year. 

Without a doubt, changes in the fashion business model must be made in order to put a stop to the injustices towards clothing laborers and decrease the environmental damage brought by the fashion industry. 

One of the best ways to combat the problem in fast fashion is practicing sustainability. 

Sustainable fashion is a movement and process of making clothes, shoes and accessories in the most environmentally and socio-economically sustainable manner. 

In the Philippines, one brand that practices sustainability is Hello Habi, a store that turns flour sacks into trendy fashion pieces fit for your closet.

Launched amid the COVID-19 quarantine in July 2020, the brand got its name “habi” from the Filipino word “habilin” which is given to someone in trust and safekeeping. 

Hello Habi advocates for slow, sustainable, and conscious fashion by repurposing flour sacks into halter tops, bottoms, corsets, and scrunchies. 

“Hello Habi is a brand that advocates for slow, sustainable, and conscious fashion. Alongside this, we also stand for ethical labor and proper wage of our laborers. Everything is made in the Philippines, with love–As we repurpose used textiles into new clothes, we hope that our customers will take care of them well to make them last,” the brand said.

Via IG: hello.habi

Among the products they sell is the Majestic (teardrop), Republic Special (teardrop), and El Superior (classic) halter tops that retail for P650.

Their corsets Luna and El Superior retail for just P1, 300; while their scrunchies set costs P150. 

Hello Habi also sells a trendy dress ribboned at the back for comfort and adjustability. For just P1,200, you may get your hands on their “Aeras Dress”.

“We wanted to make sure that we are not contributing to textile waste and harmful effects of the creation of new fabric, since the very core–we are a brand that makes the environment a priority. We also wanted our clothes to become a statement,” the brand said. 

If you want to check out their designs, you may visit their Instagram page @hello.habi or go directly to their website at https://hello-habi.com/