This newly-launched book is Ditta Sandico’s love letter and 40-year testament to Filipino fashion, weaving sustainability, resilience, and bold creativity.
Y Space at the Yuchengco Museum—sleek, sunny, and sparking with creative energy—recently played host to the launch of It’s a Wrap: Ditta Sandico, Unraveling the Future of Fashion, a four-year labor of love written by Francine Medina Marquez, edited by Gay Eiko Yoshikawa-Zialcita, and published by Far Eastern University (FEU) Publications.
While the title may suggest a tension between “what is done” and “what is yet to come,” this is intentional: the book brings together Ditta’s work to date while unfolding, with seamless elegance, what lies ahead.
A cut way above the ordinary
Ditta Sandico is neither your typical designer nor merely a maker of clothes—I’ll say that from the get-go. She doesn’t fit into anyone’s neat little industry mold. She bears the title “Wrap Artiste” with pride, sure, but above and beyond that, she protects Filipino weaving communities, traditions, and stories. From Mangyan ramit weaves made of raw, hand-spun burak or wild cotton to banaca made of banana and abaca fibers woven in Baras, Catanduanes—every thread is alive with heritage you can literally feel. Fabric here isn’t just fabric. It’s history. It’s heart. It’s revolt against the disposable.
Here’s a fun fashion fact for you: Sandico coined the term and pioneered the use of banaca in the early 2000s. Since then, it has been lauded for its durability, versatility, and sustainability.
And yes, I’ve been lucky enough to see her in action before. Flashback to the late ’80s: I modeled for Ditta’s Cache line—a far cry from my usual gothic-rocker aesthetic, yet it made me feel undeniably special. Watching her still push boundaries, elevating local craft onto the global stage, is nothing short of inspiring.
Daily rituals, not instant epiphanies
Speaking with Ditta about her 40-year journey, as woven through the book, I asked about her “aha” moment—an instant when everything clicked, in her creative process. She corrected the notion immediately: “There were no singular moments of eureka. The only thing I remember were the daily rituals of opening my heart to the universe, almost like a prayer. In deep silence, I would visualize each day as it unfolded, as if creation itself were simply a dream made real. Every waking moment became a form of meditation, and within me came visions of how I could bring these dreams into reality.”
Every day is a meditation. Every wrap and wearable art, a manifestation of that vision.
When typhoons destroyed looms, she helped reweave the future
The stories in It’s a Wrap make you sit up straight, with words that pull you in like threads through a masterful loom. For instance, Francine Marquez recounts the spiritual leader and weaver Virgilio Apanti from Baras, Catanduanes, who salvaged fabrics after a typhoon destroyed the entire weaving center he established for the community’s livelihood. Rusted, damaged, yet still full of potential, these fabrics became a lifeline. “Due to its location on the Pacific Ocean, Catanduanes is a typhoon-prone island province. And in 2016, flood water that rose to about five feet high destroyed all 15 looms and the weaving center itself. The salvaged fabrics were rusted and partly damaged, but Ditta bought them all to help them start over,” Marquez shares.
In the midst of calamity, stopping production wasn’t an option, for Sandico. “It was never about contractual relations but about doing her part to support the weavers and keep their heritage alive,” Marquez discloses. Apanti may have passed, but the legacy continues through his daughter Rejoice, who now leads the center. Indeed, heritage isn’t preserved in dusty glass cases—it’s preserved in the hands of the people, in the resilience of communities, and in the crafts they create.
Slow fashion before it was trendy
Long before “sustainable fashion” was a hashtag, Sandico lived it—championing slow, handmade, enduring fabrics crafted by local artisans over fleeting, disposable trends. And this, she believes, is exactly the path fashion must continue to take. “I foresee the future of fashion, both locally and internationally, becoming increasingly diverse and inclusive. The indigenous fabrics being developed and produced today are gaining wide acceptance across the region and will soon reach an even broader global audience,” she points out. “Once this is fully established, the benefits will naturally cascade into other local communities, creating greater opportunities for livelihood and uplifting marginalized populations through sustainable craft and cultural enterprise.”
Her philosophy is radical yet elegant: sustainability isn’t a trend. It’s the only way forward if fashion is to have a future that matters.
From runways to classrooms
FEU Publications has long been committed to amplifying Philippine arts, culture, and scholarship. Through works like It’s a Wrap, they aim not only to preserve the legacy of cultural icons but also to provide educational tools for their students. The university’s mission nurtures critical thinking, creative expression, and cultural literacy, and this book serves as both a historical chronicle and a practical guide for aspiring designers.
By documenting Sandico’s approach to sustainable design, ethical sourcing, and community engagement, FEU Publications hopes to equip students with a framework for understanding how fashion intersects with culture, economics, and social responsibility. This dual role—as a celebration of heritage and a guidebook for the next generation—reflects FEU’s dedication to producing graduates who are both technically skilled and culturally grounded, and to cultivating leaders who will think critically and act responsibly.
The university’s ethos aligns perfectly with Sandico’s philosophy: preserve heritage and inspire creativity while remaining deeply mindful of the communities fashion touches. Reading this book as a student isn’t just educational; it’s transformative. You realize that every stitch has consequence, every choice carries culture, and every design has the power to uplift lives, in small moments and sweeping impact alike.
Passing the torch without losing the soul
At the launch, models showcased Sandico’s signature wraps alongside new designs by the next generation of visionaries for the DITTA line, led by Jr. Designer Janinna Santos. Directed by Raymond Villanueva, with accessories by Arnel Papa, the ramp reveal was equal parts sashaying and storytelling, sustainability and style, culture and cutting-edge Filipino aesthetic. It was a vivid reminder: fashion evolves, but the soul of the craft—the communities, the history, the stories—must remain intact.
Marquez captures this perfectly: “I hope Ditta’s story will serve as an inspiration to aspiring designers, creative makers, and entrepreneurs. To have a meaningful purpose as the foundation of their work and to realize that, though there will be challenges along the way, having an intention will put you on a sustainable path. As Ditta has shown us, her determination and commitment eventually brought her triumphs and made her work more joyful and meaningful.”
Fashion as activism, heritage, art
Watching the pieces on the runway, I couldn’t help but feel the brave, bold beauty of it all. Each wrap is a statement, a rebellion against disposable fashion, a celebration of local craftsmanship, and a shoutout to fortitude. Ditta Sandico’s work is a reminder that fashion can (and most often should) be more than superficial. It can be a bridge between past and future, a lifeline for communities, and a global cultural ambassador.
This is fashion that remembers, restores, resists, and refuses to be forgotten.
It’s a Wrap: Ditta Sandico, Unravelling the Future of Fashion is available at TAMS Bookstore.
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