Responsible luxury

MANILA, Philippines - Even as women hold up half the sky and impact the future of the next generation, they also hold the purse strings of the family. Now out in the retail space is the brand Great Women with products of responsible luxury.

Great Women is the second brand of the ECHOstore group that stemmed from an advocacy of its non-profit ECHOsi Foundation, under an innovative public-private partnership with the Philippine and Canadian governments. The program gives micro and small women entrepreneurs a chance at the niche, specialty global market through an integrated platform that addresses gaps, gender issues through inclusive business. The goal is to help strengthen women impact enterprises up the supply and value chain towards sustainable markets. GREAT means “gender-responsive economic actions for the transformation of women.”

The advocacy-driven brand was introduced to the public in 2013 in the Philippines, then launched in Kuala Lumpur as Great Women in ASEAN during the ASEAN SME Summit of 2015. Jeannie Javelosa, who leads the Great Women Collective, says, “The brand positions products by ASEAN women entrepreneurs and designers, as well as events that support export and trade facilitation of lifestyle products. The brand supports artisan, fair trade products that value traceability to source, indigenous skills and expression. It celebrates a lifestyle of responsible luxury that hopes to empower women and sustain culture and communities.”

The first line of products launched includes indigenous people’s traditional design and motifs under the Great Women Legacy Series, such as beaded Bagobo ladies espadrilles and accessories, and woven Bagobo textiles mixed with fine leather. The T’boli textiles are revitalized into neo-ethnic home and fashion creations. The product categories include corporate gifts, ladies apparel and accessories, home textiles and décor and gift items.

Recently, the women collective came together in a permanent Great Women Showroom & Café space at the ground floor, street front of Tesoros Building in 1606 A. Arnaiz Ave., Makati City.

Carlota Tan, one of the GW partners, says, “We want this showroom and cafe to be a hub for our advocacy-driven brand. It will be central to women meetings, product development with designers and place to find that unique gift or fashion item (for men and women) that carries the spirit of Great Women.”

The initial group of GW Collective members whose products can be found in the showroom include Anthill Fabric Gallery, Brownroots Creatives, ECHOstore Sustainable Lifestyle, GKonomics, Greenleaf Eco-Bags, Ilaw ng Tahanan, Nooks, QPELA, Tadeco, The Leather Collection; jewelry designer Wynn Wynn Ong, fashion designer Happy Andrada, bag designer Zarah Juan, designers Tes Pasola and Reena Francisco and artist Jeannie Javelosa. The highlighted indigenous tribes from Mindanao are the Bagobo-Tagabawa tribes, T’boli and Subanen groups.

Community groups supported include the Davao Female Correctional Dormitory, GK communities and urban poor single mothers.

(For more information, visit www.greatwomenASEAN.com, Great Women on Facebook and @greatwomenbrand on Instagram.)