A Mindanao fashion house for charity founded by ‘kikay’ 13-year-old girl

FASHION FOR A CAUSE (from left) Isabela Blancas with Sister Marilou Besere of Gesu Eucaristico Children’s Inc. and Sister Cielo Adecer of Balay Silonganan, and Rotarian Enrique Andres at the Resty Lagare Charity Fashion Show in May 2019. —Contributed photos

As a little girl, Isabela Blancas used to wrap herself in blankets, imagining herself as a Korean princess. She liked to hide inside the cabinet, then burst out with all the pizzazz. She even invented a signature catwalk.

“I love fashion. Call me kikay (slang for sassy girl who loves makeup and fashion),” says Isabela, who is now 19.

But entering teenage years was a challenge. At the end of 2016 when she was 13, she came home from school one day in heavy tears, depressed and in dire need of counseling. She carried emotional scars as she had been bullied back in grade school. Now attending a science high school, academic pressures became overwhelming.

When the school year ended, her father Fred—who had just retired as head of strategic planning and marketing at Integrated Micro-electronics Inc. and was frequently traveling to Mindanao to conduct social enterprise workshops—asked Isabela to help run his programs. Fred thought that if Isabela would find it suitable, the family could relocate from Las Piñas to Butuan City.

That eureka moment struck Isabela when the Blancas family visited Lake Sebu in South Cotabato. After playing with some children of the T’boli tribe, she told her dad, “I want to do something for the kids.”

It turned out that Isabela had been intently listening during Fred’s workshops. She wanted to take a break from school to start her own social enterprise.

“I noticed during my visit to Butuan that they have a lot of gown rental shops. Since I like fashion, I thought of putting up my own. My dad challenged me by asking how mine would be different from the others. I told him that mine would be a social enterprise—part of its profit will go to helping poor children in Mindanao with their educational needs. He agreed but he insisted that I find a unique selling proposition. We researched on similar social ventures in the world. And then we refined our concept to asking donations of pre-loved formal wear from fashion designers and other individuals,” she narrates.

FAIRY GODMOTHER Dressing up others brings joy to Blancas.

One of her key inspirations was Cinderella Project, a nonprofit in New York that calls for donations of quality new and “gently used” formal dresses so that poor young women can attend their prom night.

This was how a 13-year-old, with all-out support from her parents, founded One Closet, the first formal wardrobe rental shop in the country that channels profits to charity.

By focusing on helping others, Isabela transcended her personal travails.

Filling the closet

Throughout 2017, the Blancas started emailing letters and posting on Facebook to request for donations of pre-loved gowns. Fashion designer Edgar San Diego was the first to pledge. Then came designer gowns and dresses from Manila. Rajo Laurel (through Venisse Laurel-Hermano), Noel Crisostomo, Veejay Floresca (through her mother in Manila), John Guarnes, Delby Bragais, Martin Bautista, Alodia Cecilia, Ziggy Savella, Tessa Prieto-Valdes (who donated a Philipp Tampus), Kaye Tinga (who donated an Oliver Tolentino, Frederick Peralta, Pepito Albert and Cary Santiago, among others) and Miriam Quiambao were among their first Manila-based supporters.

Other pieces designed by Delby Bragais, Mitzi Quilendrino, Noel Crisostomo, Patis Tesoro, Kaye Morales, Michele Sison, Cherry Samuya Veric, Philipp Tampus, Roland Lirio, Melvin Lachica, Cecilio Abad, Jun Escario, Sasa Abarentos, Oz Go, Roel Rosal, Ramon Santiago, Marlon Jay Victa and Alessandro Sy also made it to their collection.

There were clothes for the boys too. For instance, IMI CEO Arthur Tan, Fred’s former boss, donated Italian suits.

When they felt they had enough, One Closet was launched in December 2017 via a fashion show at Robinsons Place Butuan. In January 2018, it opened its shop at 388 M. Calo Street.

Her mother, Myrna tended the shop and registered the solo proprietorship as Isabela was a minor, while Fred handled the marketing. When Isabela resumed her schooling, she would head to the shop after her classes.

One Closet became a go-to place in Butuan for formal wardrobe rental, whether it’s the young people attending proms or even brides. And it’s not only for the budget-conscious; there are well-heeled customers who don’t mind wearing a preloved OOTD (outfit of the day).

SHOPGIRL Blancas at One Closet shop in Butuan —Dexter Nanual

“Our donors get rid of their old stuff. Our customers, on the other hand, get their ‘Cinderella moment’ while doing an act of charity as part of our profits go to helping poor children in Mindanao with their educational needs,” says Isabela, who relishes being Fairy Godmother in these moments.

“I guess the reason why we get tremendous support is that our advocacy goes beyond merely helping the poor. We aim to influence people in changing their mindsets. We encourage sharing.”

One of their first main beneficiaries were Gesu Eucaristico Children’s Inc. (GECI) of the Sisters Disciples of Jesus in Agusan del Norte and Balay Silonganan in Butuan. Both are shelters for disadvantaged youth.

To raise more funds for charity, they started organizing fashion shows using donated dresses. In July 2018 during GECI’s anniversary, girls who survived abuse were their fashion show models.

“Perhaps fashion has a greater purpose after all: enhancing someone’s hidden beauty and giving them the confidence they need … I fondly recall the times we lent dresses to teen survivors of abuse and female inmates of the city jail. Their joy was overflowing and a sparkle in their eyes seemed to say, I finally see the beauty in me,” she says.

One Closet also started its Real Women Campaign, promoting inclusivity and body positivity.

Meanwhile, Isabela joined BPI Foundation’s Sinag Boot Camp for Social Entrepreneurs. She was the youngest participant.

In May 2019, they successfully produced with the Rotary Club the Resty Lagare Charity Fashion Show in Butuan. Lagare is a Kuwait-based Butuanon fashion designer who has made a name overseas; he has dressed up celebrities for the Oscars, Grammys and Germany’s Next Top Model. The show was a big success.

Pandemic pivot

One Closet was preparing for a sequel charity fashion show when COVID-19 struck. Their event was canceled and the shop was closed. But Isabela was still eager to do something during those trying times.

TURNING TO FAITH Blancas wearing a church veil made by One Closet —Shayla Sanchez

When there was a need for protective personal equipment (PPEs) to protect frontline health-care workers, One Closet sought the help of Luzon-based fashion designers like Rajo Laurel, Cecilio Abad, Manny Marquez, Delby Bragais, Julius Tarog, Alex Albano, Miel Avena, Rica Siena and Daniel Hinricher and others, who agreed to provided services for free. One Closet sewed and donated 837 PPE suits to frontline health workers in Butuan and the Caraga region. Its PPE making project was replicated in Luzon and other parts of Mindanao. In addition to the PPE suits donated in Butuan and Caraga, they were able to donate more than 4,000 PPE additional suits.

As funds for PPEs dwindled, they collaborated with 12 Agusan-based artists for an online art sale “Love in the Time of COVID-19.” They sold artworks made by Ariel Sitoy, Banawe Corvera Curato, Ryan Pacanut, Cris Tamis, Goy Candelario, Jeanne Marasigan, Jojo Pablo, Katrina Centeno, Resty Sala, Roland Delara and Ronnie Rudinas.

As the pandemic lingered, One Closet had to think how fashion would remain relevant.

“We have reinvented our business model. We want to continue making women feel good about themselves and make wonderful memories without compromising their health.

Because of social distancing, it’s quite difficult to get customers to rent from us, and so we decided to venture into indoor shoots and intimate parties to push our formal wear,” Isabela recalls.

One Closet partnered with experts like Soljin Robles for event styling and catering, Red Epic Production for videography and photography, and Junel Hinayon for hair and make-up. They pitched cool events like renting 18 dresses for a debutante, or renting multiple gowns for a bride.

They also ventured into ready-to-wear PPEs in collaboration with local designers Johnbert Hubahib and Tine Arabejo Montejo.

“But we are not just after their protection, we also want to inspire women with beautiful PPEs. For some of our PPEs, we incorporated the inaul fabric in the design. The inaul fabric is woven artfully, beautifully by women of Maguindanao. Due to this, we are also able to promote the livelihood and culture of Mindanao during the pandemic.”

Manila-based customers loved those PPEs with a bit of Mindanao culture.

“We also made church veils, which was my own way of encouraging other women to strengthen their faith during difficult times,” Isabela says.

WORLD CLASS Gowns made by Resty Lagare, Kuwait-based Butuanon fashion designer who has dressed up celebrities for the Oscars, Grammys and Germany’s Next Top Model

The reopening

One Closet reopened its shop in July this year.

“To entice customers, we have been giving out huge discounts. Business has not gone back to prepandemic sales but we manage to stay afloat. Hopefully by prom season next year, sales will pick up,” says Isabela, who has taken to Tiktok to promote the business.

This Christmas, One Closet plans gift-giving activities for disadvantaged youth at GECI in Agusan del Norte, and Balay Silonganan and Bethany Home in Butuan. “We are planning to hold a bazaar in January next year to benefit micro entrepreneurs,” she says.

In November 2021, Isabela bagged Human Nature’s Bangon Award for the Youth Got Heart category. Social enterprise Human Nature honored modern-day Pinoy heroes to inspire people in difficult times. Recently, BusinessWeek Mindanao and Mindanao Daily News feted One Closet at the 9th Mindanao Business Leaders and Entrepreneurs Awards for the social enterprise category.

Moving forward, One Closet plans to upcycle old pieces of garment. “Not all the dresses donated to us have potential to be rented out. But we can salvage parts of them and turn them into new fashionable dresses. If we get to do this, we not only protect the environment from old garment ending up in dump sites, but we also provide employment to a few seamstresses,” Isabela says.

Now a 12th grader at Couples for Christ School of the Morning Star in Butuan, Isabela plans to take up business management in college. Earlier this year, she took the Department of Trade and Industry’s Kapatid Mentor ME entrepreneurial course.

Fashion and philanthropy remain at the core of her being.

“I worry that people might think I’m a holy wannabe or playing saint, but it’s not like that. It’s something personal. Through fashion, I’m reminded of God’s unconditional love…Through fashion, we are given faith, hope and joy,” she says.

“Fashion can be relevant in many ways.”