Alumna Ruby Veridiano G’15

Ruby Veridiano G’15 is the socially-conscious mind behind Wear I’m From, a web series for NBC News which explores the possibilities of sustainable fashion. In each two-minute episode the intersection of style and culture is examined, often with surprising, sometimes heart-wrenching results. Wear I’m From was recently nominated for a prestigious 2018 NAMIC Vision Award and is some of the most compelling, forward-thinking storytelling at the forefront of fashion.

“I always wanted to create a media project that expressed my vision for socially conscious fashion stories,” Veridiano says, “but at the same time, I wanted it to feel inspiring and relatable.” Wear I'm From combines Veridiano’s intention to promote diversity and inclusion for Asian-American voices, as well as her advocacy for sustainable fashion. “What we wear are more than things – they are living artifacts that contain stories of our past and, in some cases, the legacies of our families,” she says.

One episode of Wear I’m From follows the story of how unexploded bombs in Laos are being dismantled, broken down and melted into stunning, carefully crafted pieces of jewelry. In another episode, we follow a young man’s journey to fight for recognition of his grandfather’s forgotten efforts during World War II as a Filipino soldier serving in the US armed forces. In every episode, there is something poignant that digs into the heart of today’s fashion industry. Most notably, perhaps, the inequality that exists between the feminism of those who consume today’s fashion and those who create it.

“I am one of the thousands of women out there who love and consume fashion,” Veridiano says. “However, what brought me into the ethical fashion movement wasn’t my love of fashion, but my role as a women’s empowerment champion.” Her perspective was changed when she learned that 80% of the people who make our clothes are women from the ages of 18-24 – the same demographic in which the purchasing of fast fashion is highest. According to Veridiano, this group is constantly fighting for equal pay and a safe work place, free from sexual harassment, an equality agenda shared by women globally. “I recognized that ethical fashion is, in fact, a feminist issue.”

“The fashion industry is glitzy and glamorous, but it’s also one of the worst offenders when it comes to social impact. I do feel that slowly but surely, it is changing. The fashion industry is waking up to these realities, and thanks to a new generation of socially-aware consumers, sustainability and ethics are now part of the bottom line. The change is coming slow, but it is being recognized as a priority – and that's encouraging.”

When Veridiano thinks about fashion, she is thinking not only about what the current trends and hot spots are, but what is coming up next and what the future of fashion holds. “We can achieve sustainability in fashion if we re-learn to find meaning in the clothes that we wear, instead of viewing them as disposable objects.”

On discussing the nomination of her series for a NAMIC Vision Award, Veridiano is quick to share praise with her team, from whom she has learned so much. In their collaborative work, she says that she has learned about storytelling, the work that goes into making a two-minute video segment, as well as the power of having a woman behind the camera. Veridiano worked with a female filmmaker named Erica Eng on Wear I’m From and was affected by the strength and power that came from having women in control of the storytelling.

The NAMIC Vision Awards honor excellence in multicultural programming in the United States. It recognizes programs that are "reflective of the lives, spirit and contributions of people of color that best reflects the ethnic and cultural diversity of the viewing audience." Other platforms nominated included HBO, ESPN, and ABC.

Ruby Veridiano G’15 is a graduate of AUP’s MAGC program. Veridiano took up her postgraduate studies at AUP after working in performing arts/media and non-profits/NGOs for ten years. While studying at AUP, she was particularly interested in blending branding communications and fashion with social responsibility. She is currently serving as Paris Ambassador for Remake, a non-profit organization based in San Francisco dedicated to telling the stories of women garment workers, as well as advocating for a conscious consumer movement. She has represented Remake in Madrid, Paris, and during Fashion Revolution Day in Amsterdam. She is also continuing her fashion storytelling via platforms such as Hong Kong Prestige, Living It by Euronews. Since 2017, Veridiano has been co-creating Wear I'm From for NBC News. You can read more about the project and find the latest episodes on her website: http://www.rubyveridiano.com or on Pinterest and Instagram @rubyveridiano.