In a country where gray sky and rain is the usual weather forecast, Always Summer brightens the Netherlands with colorful stories of Filipino artisans.
Words and images by Ieth Inolino Idzerda
With her travel from the Philippines to the Netherlands, Mien Tagua brings back little things that tell a powerful story.
About 50 kilometers from Amsterdam, 36 minutes if you drive but 20 minutes if you take the train (2.5 hours by bike if you’re wondering), you can find yourself in Leiden. A typical university city in the Netherlands and aptly called the “City of Discoveries” because of the many scientific discoveries that were made here, Leiden also got to discover stories of Filipino artisans told in every piece of jewelry at Always Summer.
Mien Tagua opened a store in Leiden that’s also meant to feel like home–Boracay Island, Philippines where she was born and raised. If not for the harsh wind outside, the mild afternoon sunlight of Dutch spring flooding through the double corner windows of Always Summer can fool your tropical heart. From the hanging and potted plants that adorn the space to shelves that neatly cradles necklaces, bracelets, and earrings, the charming concept store is an open conversation about storytelling, craftsmanship, and authenticity.
Clients are beating a path to its doors. “Waren jullie vorige week gesloten? Ik kwam langs omdat ik iets wilde kopen.” A regular Dutch client asked Mien if they were closed last week because she came by wanting to buy something. Mien answered coyly that she was in a weekend market in Amsterdam. Their exchange of smiles was a sign of relief for them both. As the customer continues to shop, Mien shares how Always Summer started when she joined a creative market in Amsterdam in the summer of 2021. “I’ve always wanted to have my own business in The Netherlands but I didn’t know how. Until one day, I saw this ad on Instagram about a creative market. In one day, I made €800. It was addictive.”
By doing a lot of research, from hashtags to Facebook events, Mien tried to find the best markets she could participate in. Some were good, some were bad. She had to try as many as possible to see which ones work. Seeing the potential, Mien quit her job in retail inventory as she was motivated to make this her full time job. Along with this, she was building up the Always Summer website and curating collections for more markets in the calendar.
Having a lifestyle store wasn’t entirely new to Mien who used to have her own store in Boracay next to the beach. She also had a store in a mall in Iloilo City. She had a concept store wherein she was selling clothing, jewelry, own line of espadrilles, and other lifestyle products.
When things for Always Summer start to take shape, Mien went back to the Philippines and reached out to the artisans that she used to work with including Golden Monstera of Siargao Island, Inabel Weavers in Bangar La Union, and T’boli Tribe of Lake Sebu South Cotabato.
This island soul with a city spirit has a hand-on approach in getting to know the makers and their stories. With her travel from the Philippines to the Netherlands, she brings back little things that tell a powerful story. Handcrafted in Siargao Island, Golden Monstera works with brass, one of the most environmentally friendly metals in the world. This natural and sustainable earth-derived material can be recycled many times over without diminishing the composition. Using the age-old weaving process called Abel, a group of skilled weavers in the northern Philippines creates Inabel handwoven towel that blends modern design and traditional weaving techniques. The brass casters from the T’boli tribe in South Cotabato craft jewelry with a social purpose.
It has always been the brand’s aim to support local culture based livelihood and promote traditional handcrafted pieces with contemporary designs. “It was a conscious effort for me to highlight the makers because not a lot of people here know about Filipino artistry. I’m happy that with our clientele, what initially attracts them is the story, then the design. We have a mix of trendy and classic as well as statement pieces. They also like the styling and vibe of the store. It’s always grey in the Netherlands and Always Summer is about your positive attitude in life.”
Always Summer is also always dreaming. Mien hopes to have stores in other key cities in The Netherlands like Amsterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, and Rotterdam. She wants to have a complete lifestyle store where Filipino and other international makers have an avenue to sell their collections. As another customer enters the store and starts to check out the jewelry, Mien begins to tell the story behind the T’boli collection earrings. With every nod, there’s a spark of interest in the customer’s eyes that assures Mien that there’s a bright sunny future ahead of her.
IG: @alwayssummern
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