Puey Quinones, one of the highly-celebrated designers in Manila, re-sparked creativity into 30 talented maximum security inmates in New Bilibid Prison.
After being taught by Quinones tailoring and dressmaking lessons, the prisoners are now paid to handpaint and bead dresses, skirts, blouses, t-shirts and bags. For their creativity, they get a renumeration of 100-500 pesos per finished item.
At first, the designer kept his prison collaboration a secret. He confessed, "Friends were initially concerned. They were afraid that some of my clients might not like the idea of me collaborating with prisoners. On the contrary, my customers were amazed when they learned about it."
Ever since the secret's out, Quinones has been getting extra media mileage. His designs are worn by famous local celebrities and media personalities, as well as high-profile clients.
What's Driving This Trend
- Prison-industry Collaboration
- Exploring partnerships between designers and prison inmates to create unique fashion products and empower the incarcerated population.
- Inmate Entrepreneurship
- Supporting and training inmates to develop creative skills and start their own businesses within the prison system.
- Socially Conscious Fashion
- Embracing fashion brands that prioritize social impact by employing marginalized groups and promoting rehabilitation.
Who This Affects Most
- Fashion
- Fashion brands can tap into the prison population's talent pool to produce innovative and socially impactful products.
- Correctional Facilities
- Prisons can explore partnerships with fashion designers to introduce vocational training programs that foster rehabilitation and reduce recidivism.
- Media and Entertainment
- Media outlets can highlight stories of collaboration between designers and inmates to raise awareness and drive support for prison-industry initiatives.
