MANILA, Philippines — Actor Pepe Herrera backed his support for sustainable fashion by attending the 2023 ABS-CBN Ball with a completely upcycled outfit.
At the ball held last September 30, Pepe wore an upcycled formal wear by RIOtaso and IMMA Universe, leather shoes purchased from a thrift shop, and borrowed earrings from his non-showbiz wife Sarah Mallari.
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The very same suit was featured on the British Vogue issue of January 2022, which focused on sustainable fashion, with American androgynous model Kristen McMenamy on the cover.
Additionally, the designer behind RIOtaso was one of Pepe's students when he taught music at Multiple Intelligence International School, and learned the concept of sustainable fashion from her and other sustainable groups like Greenpeace.
"Puwede bang sabihin kong inspiration ay sustainability at environmentalism? Because that's my main advocacy, especially now that I'm a father, so I want to create an environment that is sustainable especially for our children," Pepe said to members of the media including Philstar.com on the red carpet.
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Pepe explained that the suit was made from 20,000 upcycled fabric pieces and its outer layer made of discarded PPE or personal protective equipment used during the height of the pandemic.
The actor was especially proud of his leather shoes from an ukay-ukay store, and while it wasn't his first time wearing earrings, it was his first time borrowing from his wife.
"Sabi ko, 'Pahiram ng mga dangling mo.' Siya na 'yung nag-style sa'kin, feeling ko kasi bagay sa outfit," Pepe added.
Pepe's fashion tip was to continue supporting sustainable fashion clothing and upcycled fashionwear especially through swap stores.
"Not all of us know, no. 2 polluter ang fabric. Sana mas dumami pa ang mga designers that promote sustainable fashion," Pepe ended.
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