Sinigang is many Pinoys' favorite food, and for UK-based Filipina artist Mikayla Teodoro, the delightfully sour soup bears many fond memories. Quite literally wearing her heart on her sleeve, she commissioned Preview's 2023 Best Filipino Fashion Designers awardees HA.MU to craft a unique piece that symbolized her love for the local dish.
LOOK: Ha.Mu's Sinigang Bib Top
The Sinigang Bib Top is dedicated to Mikayla's family cook, whom she considers a second mother. "She stayed with us for over 20 years. When I moved to the UK from the Philippines, the homesickness really got to me, especially because I missed her food," she tells Preview.
To alleviate the wistfulness, she called up their cook and learned how to cook sinigang through the phone. "This top is an homage to her and a love letter to Filipino food," Kayla adds.
Having worked with them prior, Kayla knew that HA.MU "understood [her] aesthetic perfectly." She says that she's had the idea for the top for a while already, but she wasn't sure how to explain it to other designers. It was upon seeing the brand's work with their Hamulaklak Bib Top that she knew they were the right ones to tap.
The top was fashioned after sinigang na hipon in particular, with shrimps, onions, tomatoes, tamarind, and water spinach present in vibrant hues.
Presently, Kayla has worn the conversation-starting piece to theatre openings and press nights in the UK. "I’m excited to wear it in more casual settings and to style it with my everyday outfits. I always make sure I celebrate Filipino designers in all of my big events, meetings, and presentations," she shares.
The Making of the Ha.Mu Sinigang Bib Top
In an interview with the creative duo from HA.MU, the designers attest that the concept of a sinigang top was "wild," but it was something totally up their alley, too.
Similar to their oversized flower-shaped tops, the piece was made by stitching together the pieces, in this case, the ingredients, similarly to a puzzle. "We started by sketching out the design on the puzzle base before we figured out the placements of the different elements," they state.
The designers utilized fabrics they already had such as cotton, twill, and silk gazar to craft the piece. According to them, they "wanted to already use what we have as this was a creative project and we wanted to be resourceful while maintaining our quality of work."
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