Though most lawmakers and government staff had to tune into President Rodrigo Duterte’s 5th State of the Nation Address remotely via Zoom, that didn’t stop the women from dressing up in stylish ternos even in the comforts of their own home. A trend we noticed almost immediately was that most of these female legislators donned a very unique brooch.
Called the Araw brooch especially made for the Philippine Fashion Coalition by local accessories brand Tropik Beatnik, in collaboration with designer Esme Palaganas and AntHill Fabric, the accessory comes in bone white and navy and was made to symbolize unified support for the local fashion industry.
The accessory was launched during the SONA and was worn by the likes of Vice President Leni Robredo and congresswoman Vilma Santos. The brooch also complemented the congressional pin, which a lot of legislators wore it with.
If you want to get yourself one, you actually can! The brooch is being sold exclusively by the Philippine Fashion Coalition, and you get a Filipino-woven face mask for every purchase. A box set is also available that includes a variety of woven face masks and other accessories, and proceeds will benefit fashion business and designers who are most affected by the pandemic.
You can also shop the Araw design as an earring on Tropik Beatnik. The Araw was originally a stud design by the brand. Founder Carla Cruz tells Preview that when she was approached for the project, PFC had been eyeing the Araw earring as a basis for the brooch. The Araw earring in Ulap is actually pretty similar if you’re looking to wear it on your lobe.
The Araw earring in the Ulap colorway.
When asked if Tropik Beatnik will release a navy colorway similar to the brooch, “You know, why not! All I know is that we’ll definitely be doing more colorways for the Araw! So stay tuned for that!”
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