Feature: Senina, a sustainable fashion revolution from Ozamiz!

Young and vibrant, Cielo Cervantes-Revelo, the sole proprietor of The Senina Fashion Shop in Ozamiz City has dreamed big and is now making waves in the business of clothing with sustainability in mind.

“I am slowly transforming my business into a sustainable social enterprise, collaborating with the community with advocacy of sustainable fashion revolution, which means lessening the carbon footprint by upcycling waste into usable and wearable materials,” she said in a virtual interview.

Cielo partnered with the Buenavista Camating Agrarian Reform Cooperative (Bucarco), a Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP)-assisted cooperative based in Barangay Buenavista, Tudela, Misamis Occidental to produce clothes made from abaca.

Most are members of the indigenous Subanen tribe who were initially into backyard farming and garment-sewing.

During the start of the pandemic, BUCARCO shifted into producing woven abaca face masks, abaca earrings and abaca scrunch (from waste fibers) through the product development program of One Town One Product (OTOP) Next Gen in collaboration with Senina.

Cielo also has a passion for cultural heritage where she opted to create modern terno inspired by Mindanaoan prints.

She also started a collection made of harina sacks to promote sustainability while lessening waste.

“My inspiration is life and life itself,” she said.

She shared her inspiration would come from simple things like prints, flowers, her dogs and their little plants with her husband and including the different stories of different people and the community.

The Department of Trade and Industry has become an instrument for Cielo to learn the ropes of marketing, branding and even networking.

DTI invited me to be a Kapatid Mentor Me Program (KMME) mentee, she said.

Through the program, Cielo was assisted from product branding to packaging to being a market ready one.

She was also included in various opportunities, such as online bazaars, fashion shows, and different workshop classes to promote Senina brand.

To stay in business, you must know your numbers, she said.

“Whatever you do and whatever you study about, you end up using excel at the end of the day,” she smilingly shared.

Business means profit and people, so know your numbers, she added.

There is a downside in becoming an entrepreneur.

Cielo became a bit serious with this topic, saying, “Being an entrepreneur is a very isolating job, you may get stuck up for a moment or die spiritually.”

But the good news is that you can shift this pattern around by surrounding yourself with driven people with the same goal and mindset as you do so that after you die, you will live again.

“And also get a mentor because life is a never ending process of learning,” she said.

Senina is expanding in Cagayan de Oro with a recent opening at LUNA By Oro Creatives Located at Ayala Centrio Mall.

A second store will open on November 18 at SM Uptown Northwing Cagayan de Oro.

The Senina Fashion Shop started in 2016 from simple made to order wedding gowns, to now, six year later, becoming a representation of Filipino culture and fashion. (JMORucat/PIA10)