In today's social landscape, fashion labels and designers have a duty to uphold sustainable practices with the pieces they produce. Clothes, after all, are not meant to just wither away in one's closet after being worn once or twice. At this year's PHx Fashion Conference, TOQA champions a distinct brand of circularity and versatility with their selection.
Characterized by their youthful approach and usage of one-of-one deadstock textiles, TOQA seeks to inform its patrons that their pieces are as dynamic as they are. Ahead, we chat with them as they discuss their design ethos and their dedication to "functional, fashionable, fun" style.
Creative Spotlight: TOQA on Their Selection for the 2023 PHx Fashion Conference
What does TOQA mean? What's the story behind the brand's name?
"TOQA is a word that has no prior meaning, except for the world that we wanted to build around it. That still holds true. We got the sound of TOQA from my dog, whose energy and spirit [are] honored in our fashion practice."
What's the overall concept or theme behind your collection for the PHx Fashion Conference? How is it connected to TOQA's design ethos?
"The assortment for PHx is a selection of some of TOQA’s past major runway collections from Moodyisle, Midnight Smoothie, and our current collection TOQA Black Tie. We wanted to present an assortment that made sense for the Philippine market, while also representing TOQA’s journey, from its beginnings to where it is now.
"TOQA is a sustainable sport resort from the Philippines, the cultural uniform for your everyday adventures. Each collection and each singular piece is reflective of our Sport Resort ethos, which is grounded in cultural innovation. From sourcing entirely local and sustainable deadstock fabric, made from start to finish by our all-female team, the selection for PHX is reflective of the places we’ve been and the stories of people we’ve interacted with."
Are there any particular influences that shaped your collection? How did they inspire your work?
"TOQA, inspired by local environments, collaborates with artists and organizations and manipulates fabrics to tell stories about places that you could belong to. In particular, our Moodyisle collection was a collaboration with El Nido Resorts’ workers, and our Midnight Smoothie collection was a collaboration with Hawaiian artists. With our latest collection TOQA Black Tie, we collaborated with individual artists and re-envisioned the ASEAN event culture—the idea of going from the gym to a gala."
"We want you to be able to snap the buckle on, go drive and install an art show, then go straight to a glam Christmas party after. We want our audience to understand that there are no limitations to how our clothing should be worn. It’s designed for the lifestyles that we live here. It's easy and functional, [and made of] quality [materials.] It's a wearable celebration of contemporary ASEAN culture."
What are the main design elements in your collection? Are there any specific fabrics, materials, motifs, silhouettes, or colors that define it?
"Our ethos of sustainability is to reduce waste and add value. [In terms of materials,] we use deadstock fabric that fast fashion companies throw away. We then manipulate the fabric, using TOQA signature [techniques such as] our embroidery interlock motif, or our original basahan tela patchwork.
"Knowing that 75% of landfill waste comes from cutting room floors, we created our own circular economy of fabric scraps, a motif inspired by a very Filipino practice of resourcefulness. You can see this tela in our basahan tank and TOQA sling totes."
What methods or crafting techniques did you use to construct your pieces? How long does it take to construct a piece of yours?
"It varies widely, but the Motopant took the longest to perfect. It took 2 years to get it to where it is now, with its intricate embroidery and 43 individual pattern pieces. It takes our whole team to make one pair. As for our basahan tela, it takes six hours to make one yard, so that kind of commitment to originality and excellence in craft and production is really priceless."
Please describe the muse you have in mind for TOQA. What are their characteristics and how do they approach fashion?
"Whether they are a sporty boi, a kween, an artiste, a hypebeast, or a "Jane Goodall", the person that wears TOQA is a young cultural leader with an active lifestyle. A global citizen who is comfortable in their own skin, and is unafraid to show it. And that translates through TOQA [since you're] wearing that kind of confidence on your sleeve. The clothes are functional, fashionable, and fun, just like you!"
What does it mean for you to be part of this year's PHx Fashion Conference? How do you see this influencing your growth as a brand?
"I think it's important to always be connected to a community. I’m glad to be part of PHx with so many other Filipino creatives, dreamers, and thinkers, just to show that there is a landscape both locally and globally that is reflective of our culture."
Can you share any fun fact or unknown trivia about any of your pieces?
"There’s a TOQA trouser that we made exclusively for PHx in a new moody colorway. If you go to PHx and you flip through the book, we’ve included TOQA ways to wear it [guide]. So you can try it on, take it home, and feel just how interactive and high-quality the clothes are. They have so many different uses."
"There are even pieces in the collection that are made out of swim fabric so you can sweat and swim in them, and it’ll hold up just as well if you were to wear it to a New Year’s Eve event!"
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