“Let's stride towards a more stylish and sustainable future—one exciting step at a time!” - Tati Miranda Fortuna

On November 8th 2023, a lively runway comprising of the top industry movers and shakers strutted their stuff on the runway. Men such as Bruce Winston of the Marriott Group, Ralph Becker of Urban Greens, and Stanley Ng of Philippine Airlines took part in this celebration of sustainability and sartorial flair.

It was a way to tackle the fashion industry’s reputation as one of the most prominent ‘take-make-waste models’ one step at a time.  In this case, we turn to circular fashion advocate and image consultant, Tati Miranda Fortuna. Her latest brainchild is a new book aptly called BossManual, which shows an innovative approach by working with Filipino men of substance to make a case for mindful consumption and circular fashion.  

A select group of "BossMen" handpicked for the book are featured wearing various outfits that express their individuality on its pages. The BossManual team worked closely with these men and shopped in their closets to find the appropriate outfits, some of which were repaired, altered and upcycled for the photo shoot, to underscore the core theme of the book: that being fashionably elegant does not mean having to buy something new.

Tati envisioned BossManual not just as your ordinary fashion guide but as a way to help men with ambition enhance their professional image and confidence through practical fashion tips, expert insights, and real-life examples, all with sustainability in mind. “I started actively promoting sustainably-made corporate-wear, workwear, and uniforms using deadstock fabric and post-consumer recycled plastic bottles, and at the same time talked to my clients about the opportunity to return, repurpose, and upcycle their old linens and uniforms”, shared the author.

The book features everything men need to build a winning capsule wardrobe, curate a sustainable closet, answer vital fashion queries, and discover eco-friendly shopping and dining gems. “Choosing which bosses to feature was a challenge, but my team and I were able to put together an amazing set of leaders from across the country”, Fortuna mentioned in Boss Manual. 

When asked what’s in store for Boss Manual in the future, Tati enthusiastically shared that she wants to share sustainability ideas with more people. 

“The next step that I want to take is to share with more people how sustainability in our clothing choices and our daily lives can be practiced and embraced by every individual.”

BossManual will be available at Fully Booked Rockwell, BGC and Mitsukoshi for only PHP1,899. Available soon on Amazon.

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Cyan Dacasin is a lifestyle journalist and editor with bylines in LA Weekly, Vingt Sept Magazine, The Los Angeles Tribune and more. She held the position of Managing Editor of Mr Warburton Media under media personality, Derek Warburton. Aside from that, she was the lifestyle editor for British Thoughts Magazine under photographer Zainea Alexandrou.