20 Local and International Brands We Loved This Year
Found a fave?
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(SPOT.ph) Like any other year, 2023 has been a year full of purchases—what with the 1.1s to the 12.12s; end-of-seasons to warehouse and outlet sales; new store openings, and more. In the frenzy, we found a few we have plans of being loyal to from here on out. Check out the ones that stood out to us below.
Also read:
10 Local Bag Brands That Deserve a Spot in Your Rotation
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Here are some brands we adored this year:
Linya-Linya
There’s nothing more that binds people together than shared experiences—and Linya-Linya knows it. Their wit, humor, and relatability infused in their affordable tees and merchandise is what made everyone—yes, including us—love the brand. You may or may not have tagged your friends with a “Mood,” or “You and I need to get this,” under their posts and that’s how you know you’re hooked. Linya-Linya was created by Jim Bacarro along with his classmate Ali Sangalang in 2015.
Linya-Linya is available on Lazada, Shopee, and their website. See a list of Linya-Linya branches.
Flying Tiger Copenhagen
If you’re an anik-anik and stationery girlie, the arrival of Flying Tiger Copenhagen to the country is a huge "finally" for you. The Danish lifestyle store is a trinket wonderland, and they’re popping all over the Metro. They’ve got kitschy and unique finds—from “things you need, things you dream of, and things you never even know existed,” and we’re all here for it. Fair warning though: Your wallet will take a huge hit once you enter the Makati store.
Flying Tiger Copenhagen is located at Flying Tiger Copenhagen is at 1F Glorietta 4, Makati City.
Mari-MaArt-E
We love good merch, especially when they’re inspired by the things we love. That being said, it’s damn near impossible to resist the urge to buy the cutest designs inspired by your ult K-Pop group like BLACKPINK or BTS, K-Dramas, personalities like Queen Taylor Swift as well as series, and movies from local and online shop Mari-MaArte. It’s a go-to destination for your fellow friends and stans come Christmastime or special occasions.
Mari-MaArte is available on Lazada and their website.
Gentle Monster
South Korea’s culture has been well-loved and received in the country—from K-Pop groups, K-Drama actors and series,down to food and skincare, so it’s no surprise when people lined up for the South Korean eyewear brand Gentle Monster when it put up shop in Taguig recently. The popular brand’s functional and forward-looking pieces sit pretty on familiar and beloved idols and K-Drama stars. Not to mention that the first store is a sight to behold—with a gigantic gloating and blinking eye to greet you inside. Even passersby would stop to take a look.
Gentle Monster is located at 5th Avenue, BGC, Taguig City. Store hours are from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. from Sundays to Thursdays, and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Aniya Clothing
Another local brand that tickles the funny, Pinoy humor in all of us is Aniya Clothing. One thing we love about them is their totes, specifically the Gentle Mo Mukha Mo, Gigil Woman, and Gagalet Woman that made waves on social media. Relate much? You’ll find a wide range of merchandise like shirts, wallets, and bags that tells your story and elicit a chuckle… or four. Their price range won’t break the bank at all.
Aniya Clothing is available on Lazada and Shopee.
Jellytime
This year’s all about exploring, more so when it comes to our own selves. Jellytime is a local brand that can help you with a thing or two. It started with Ava Daza wanting her sister, Isabelle and her friends to try out something new: lube. Long story short: Isabelle ended up liking it and thus pushed them to create the local sexual wellness brand. Jellytime offers products for your own pleasure, say, toys and lube, which is their hero and bestselling product. Their toys are mostly personal vibrators that are more enjoyable with their lubricants. It’s a safe space for people to explore their bodies and sexuality—and really get to know yourselves better.
Jellytime is available on Lazada, Shopee, and their website.
Beyond the Vines
Things, brands, and trends—they come and go every year, but your love for Beyond the Vines and its dumpling bags stay. What with its dependability and versatility. Although they’re always in our hearts, the spotlight this year was on the Singaporean brand’s poofy pieces. Yes, the dumpling bags’ siblings but with—as their name suggests—pillow-like pluffness look and feel.
Beyond the Vines is available online. See a list of Beyond the Vines branches.
Profanity.ph
It’s safe to assume that we’re all mad and frustrated. Be it because of the world in general, or about toxic workmates and even more toxic work deliverables, that we completely ate up (not literally) these swear rugs from Profanity.ph The local brand puts a lot of work into their hand-tufted, chic and aesthetic rugs which can be designed to your favorite swear word (we know you have a lot) or other complex and crazy designs you can think of to add some oomph in your spaces.
Profanity.ph is available on Lazada.
Viajecito
Filipinos love to travel and Viajecito—whose founding story began all the way in Spain—is an ode to that. They’re best known for the Splashkit, a thoughtfully designed (and usually bright-colored) box-shaped bag made of silicone rubber that you can mix and match with adjustable straps. It first became an essential during the pandemic when people needed easy-to-clean items. Now that the world is open again, it’s a beach-trip must-have because it keeps your valuables conveniently close and water-adventure-proof. And since they always have their customers’ interests in mind, they’ve also rolled with the times (i.e. return-to-office orders) through day-to-day accessories like phone-fitting clutches, wearable coin purses, and drizzle-proof work totes.
Viajecito is available on Lazada, Shopee, and their website. See a list of Viajecito branches.
Out and About MNL
Let’s be real here, who doesn’t love cute dresses with actual pockets? And who doesn’t love the attention and questions (“Where did you get that?” / “They have pockets?!”) they bring? It’s an investment we swear by. Especially when they’re as pretty and bright as the ones in Out and About MNL. The local brand is brimming with these dresses with a bandage-like upper gently wrapped around your busts and functional pockets on each side that can safely store your phone.
Out and About MNL is available on Shopee.
Also read: 10 Shops You Can Cop Pretty Dresses With Actual Pockets From
Doyle & Furnham
What if we told you that you don’t have to fly to and check into a luxury, private island frequented by celebrities just to experience their bedsheets? Doyle & Furnham makes that possible. An offshoot of hospitality bedding supplier Premium Linen, Doyle & Furnham makes hotel-quality sheets available for the everyday Pinoys who deserve suite-like sleep. They’ve recently set up shop in Taguig where you can also try out their mattress and pillow offerings (and some boozy drinks from a speakeasy bar inside).
Doyle & Furnham is available on Lazada, Shopee, and on their website. The Doyle & Furnham store is located at Gate 3 Plaza, Taguig.
Trinkets
Those who are on the lookout for pretty and timeless accessories would no doubt have come across this (quite literally) homegrown jewelry brand. Classic designs come with a classy twist in Trinkets’ gold-plated selection of unique earrings, dainty necklaces, and cute friendship bracelets. They also offer everything you need to care for your precious purchases, like an all-natural jewelry cleaner (that you can use even for fine jewelry) and customizable velvety trinket boxes that conveniently come in varying sizes. The jewelry concept that started in founder Justinne Natividad’s bedroom has now spurned pop-ups, collabs with brands like Uniqlo, and now, permanent kiosks in Glorietta 2 and SM City North EDSA.
Trinkets is available on Lazada, Shopee, and their website. Trinkets is also located at Glorietta 2, SM City North EDSA, and Frankie’s General Store in Power Plant Mall.
Project PH
It’s the year of being more purposeful. If you have been looking for pieces in the slower and more sustainable side of fashion like we were, you must have stumbled into Project PH’s upcycled ensembles. The local brand breathes new life into old fabrics, in particular the flour sacks we always see in supermarkets. They offer a wide range of cool pieces—apparel, accessories, and other merch. We raved about their girls’ girl pieces like this cool denim and katsa paneled romper.
Project PH is available on Shopee.
Mayfair & Co.
There’s nothing quite like coming home to a beautifully curated space that’s also personalized to fit your daily routine and tasks. And it’s Mayfair & Co.’s mission to make that a reality for their loyal customers. From frosted soap pumps to acrylic shoe organizers, crunch-guaranteed airtight snack containers to Acacia wood spice jars, everything they offer is essentially functional display. The three sisters behind the pandemic-born brand each have a role to play in making sure that they develop purposeful products, produce them properly, and find their way into the rooms of their beloved homemakers. They’ve made it even more personal through services like home styling and gift registries and their items are now making their way to the U.S.
Mayfair & Co. is available on Lazada, Shopee, and their website.
Digital Walker
If there’s one thing you can take away from going through a Digital Walker store—in person or online—it’s that you can never have too many gadgets and accessories for those gadgets. After more than 20 years in the tech retail space, they’ve now become the go-to for all kinds of wearable tech (like the ever-reliable Fitbit watches) and the latest releases you won’t find anywhere else (like the Nothing phone). They’ve also got finds that fit every kind of lifestyle, whether it’s runner-approved conduction earphones or floor-thumping wireless speakers for music enthusiasts. Plus, you’re assured you’ll find a good deal from their promos and sales. We know we have.
Digital Walker is available on Lazada and Shopee. See a list of Digital Walker branches.
The Nest
At a time when we’re expected to multitask because of how busy we are on the daily, it only makes sense that we’d like our gadgets to be just as efficient, too. Enter: The Nest. Their curated selection of nifty tech products ranges from a sleek air-circulating fan that doubles as a lamp, to a self-warming heated puffer jacket, to an award-winning collapsible suitcase. The Nest’s goal is to help you build a smart home—not just in the app-controlled kind of way, but more importantly, in the practical and convenient sense. Online regulars and new customers alike can enjoy testing out their products (they add a few ones every few months) at their store in San Juan. But whether you shop them on Lazada or IRL, there’s no doubt you’ll find something you didn’t even know you needed.
The Nest is available on Lazada and Shopee. The Nest store is located at 55-B Connecticut Street, Greenhills, San Juan City.
Beyond the Box
Every year, Apple comes out with upgrades and updates to its lineup of premium products. And every year, Beyond the Box is where you can get your hands on them locally. They provide a space (or actually, multiple spaces in malls throughout the Metro) that makes the process as easy as possible for customers—from trying, to buying, to unboxing. They also have trade-ins that make those wallet-heavy purchases lighter. And similar to its sister company Digital Walker, Beyond the Box goes all out on sales throughout the year.
Beyond the Box is available on Lazada and Shopee. See a list of Beyond the Box branches.
Links are updated regularly and as much as possible but note that products can run out of stock, discounts can expire and listed prices can change without prior notice.
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