What started out as an experiment with plain T-shirts eventually became a foray into rediscovery. Designer Vivien Ramsay recounts how her clothing line Eairth started with a few Crispa T-shirts. “I started putting holes [in them], tearing them, and maybe knotting them.” After her first few creations, she went out and bought a bunch more and asked the simple question that set her up for even bigger things, “What do we do now?”
She then ventured into Mangyan territory and learned how they dyed fabrics. The traditional way the indigenous tribe made and applied the colored pigments inspired her initial designs. “It’s an old-world system that was used to make pigment—the same as what you see on paintings and color. We did our research and [eventually] developed our palette for Eairth.”
The subtle color variations found on each Eairth creation exhibits the unique process each piece goes through. Each hand-dyed garment carries a color that stands out among the chemically-dyed fast-fashion finds, and carries an aesthetic compatible with every skin tone. On top of that, the process is all-natural, from the creation of the fabrics to how they are dyed. But, be careful with labels: Vivien likes to veer away from the term “eco-friendly.”
“What I do believe in is applying processes that can allow people to live longer and allow people to have access [to them], hence [processes that don’t] pollute the water, earth, and air. [It means] taking the world in making something instead of trashing the world with disposable stuff. I guess people called it ‘eco’ because they couldn’t describe it better.”
Not content with what she already started, Vivien soon ventured into creating her namesake brand. Being 30 helped her look back at what she has done and look forward to what else she can do. “If Eairth is [for] the nomadic traveler, then Vivien Ramsay is [for] the confident woman who lives throughout the world.”
So do we really think Vivien will stop at just that? Currently, she’s already thinking of making home products like pottery and kitchenware. “We already did some tests of taking raw clay and putting it together,” she shares with excitement in her voice. “What I’m doing now is a step forward to the bigger picture.”
Her new project is a testament to what she has become and reflects the new phase of her life. She’s both a businesswoman and weekend warrior, a woman who finds delight in the old but is always in the know about what’s up
Source: Denise Danielle Alcantara for Northern Living, “The Raw Story,” September 2015. <Photo by Mark Nicdao