“Astrology is a reflection of you and your life. The whole thing can be seen through the lens of what makes you beautiful and what makes this life of yours beautiful.” — Chani Nicholas

We’ve mentioned this a few times before, but here at VINTA, we’re all about horoscopes, astrology and all that birth chart business. So when our woman crush/astrologer Chani Nicholas launched her new app, The CHANI App, we got inspired to write up our own little star sign-related fashion guide. (Btw, if you don’t already know who Chani Nicolas is, check her out ASAP. She weaves progressive politics, social justice, queer identity — not to mention amazing Spotify Cosmic Playlists — into her work. We’re obsessed.)

But back to VINTA — it’s a new year, and 2021 is the year for us to begin a new cycle, a new journey of creativity, exploration and discovery. Of hard resets. Of being the boss of our own lives. Of expressing ourselves. Of feeling good. Of rocking a sweet new look — no matter what the current situation.

So we’ve put together these VINTA outfit ideas for every star sign to hopefully inspire your wardrobe for the new year ahead.

In an open letter to Filipinxs in the diaspora, VINTA Gallery founder Caroline Mangosing urged the Filipinx community to do the work of decolonizing and digging deeper to know ourselves. In the context of fashion and design, decolonization could mean many things to many people and brands. For VINTA, it means centring Filipinx voices, stories and their work, in an effort to reclaim our own culture. Designer, educator and member of the research group Decolonising Design said it best: “Decolonizing is about shattering the familiar.”

In a previous article, we outlined the rich and interesting history of the Barong Tagalog in all its embroidered glory. If you ask us, the barong is one of the most elegant pieces of artwork one can wear — and should be a staple in all Filipino men’s wardrobes. At the same time, the barong carries with it a long history of trauma and discrimination. In the past, it was believed that Spanish colonizers forced native Filipinos to keep their transparent barongs untucked and without pockets to distinguish them from the ruling class and to prove that the wearer was not stealing or carrying a weapon. Meant to police the native “Indios,” it served as a constant and painful reminder that they will always be oppressed.

A NOTE FROM OUR FOUNDER AND DESIGNER

Does anyone feel like time has gone super fast since quarantine began? It seems like only yesterday we sent out our last VINTA Update in March — and now we’re already halfway through the year. (Sidenote: We literally had to Google if this was a thing, the whole concept of time speeding up during the pandemic, and it is — apparently psychologists say it happens when a routine changes drastically, our worlds and lifestyles shrinking to the bare minimum and all of us trying to multitask more. It’s a common phenomenon. Just an FYI. We’re all still in this together.)

But I digress.

At VINTA Gallery, things haven’t slowed down. Here’s what’s been going down.