Glow by Lady E

  There’s a point where beautiful things stop being enough. I began noticing what they’re not saying. What they don’t carry. What they leave behind. And once I saw it— it’s hard to go back to wearing things that feel empty. A few pairs of earrings were the catalyst.  I didn’t pay much attention.  But something about that museum visit lit a fire in me.  As if my ancestors were whispering to me through the fabrics that they wove with their hands.  And then we went to Vigan .  And I saw many handcrafted goods. Some were for the kitchen.  Some were decor.  And some, for wearing. I entered a store that sold inabel pieces.  They were beautiful.  But very expensive.  After owning a piece,  I now know why. I treated my inabel skirt as something very special.  I initially wanted to save it for special occasions.  But one day, I visited the boutique that made my skirt. I was talking to the sales attendant when this elderly...

  I don’t just get dressed. I remember. Where I come from. What shaped me. The hands, the places, the stories woven into the things I choose to wear. When I was younger, I used to follow trends. Well, a bit.  I wasn’t too big on branded things, though.  I wore what I’m comfortable in and what I could afford.  And long-time followers know that I used to sell clothes.  So that was convenient.  I wore the pieces from my collections.  Now that I’m older and seeing the effects of fast fashion,  I’m taking a step back and thinking about my style choices.  I bought this beautiful inabel skirt for my debut at the Philippine Book Festival 2026.  I wanted to represent my grandfather’s culture and heritage.  I wanted him to be part of that day.  I had become a voracious reader because of him and that love for reading has turned into a love for writing.  It was because of him that I became an author.  Wearing my inabel skirt on...