“So, kwento ka naman!”, that’s my usual line when seeing friends again. This pandemic has led us to share our lives in different forms - from sharing our travel memories on Facebook or just by dancing on Tiktok.

Through this blog, I want to share my personal stories as to how Sewn Sandals came about. It’s all about our love for sandals and slippers and how they were influenced by different facets of our Filipino culture. As Filipinos, the simple but useful tsinelas, is part of our daily lives. As a child, my pair of slippers was my prized possession that I never let out of my sight. I even clean them with an old toothbrush just to keep them nice and durable. Remember when we were kids, we only had one pair of tsinelas at a time and we can get so attached to it. As a true blue Southerner from Metro Manila, a pair of nice sandals has been part of my laidback culture. 

Raise your hand if you’ve gone malling to “Town” (Alabang Town Center) in your shorts and slippers. I know I did, and I still do!

In my succeeding blogs, I will be featuring Sewn’s latest styles, but more importantly, I will tell the story of how our sandals were created and how they are influenced by the causes I support. As a founder, my aim is to contribute to purposeful consumerism, uplift women’s lives, promote self-care, and highlight our Philippine culture through the talents of our Filipino craftsmen and shoemakers. 

Each pair of slippers from Sewn Sandals is more than just a fashion statement - it’s a testament to my passion for a laidback lifestyle and purpose. Our sandals also tell the story of our own Filipino craftsmen - their successes, challenges, and how they continue to survive as the brand promotes our diverse culture.

I believe that we can be fashionable and at the same time be conscious and mindful of our habits. Let’s face it, consumerism makes the world go round, but we have to make changes. As a company, even in its small way, Sewn is learning to evolve in making positive changes and we can do it together. With every purchase of sandals from Sewn, a portion of the sale goes to our partner organizations. We have previously contributed a portion of our sales to  Paglaum.ph, Project Smile Philippines, and World Vision. Our previous contributions helped in increasing these organizations’ funds so they can serve the people who need a leg up. We are hoping to partner with more organizations that share our advocacies in the future.

I hope you’ll enjoy reading Sewn’s journals about Philippine culture, women communities, self-care, purpose, and how we can all be significant Filipinas through Sewn Sandals.

Until My Next Musing,

Mariel Ortiz-Luis Veluz
Founder, Sewn Sandals