Kalamansi Collective: A stylish homage to the Filipino immigrant experience
If there’s one thing Filipinos are known for, it’s their resilient nature.
“We are simply showing the world what we’ve got!”
The Philippines was the third largest sourced country for immigration to Canada, according to the 2021 Census of Population by Statistics Canada. There are literally close to a million Filipinos in the country right now, each with their own story on why they chose to pursue a life here—this is the ethos of Kalamansi Collective.
Founded by Filipino-Canadian journalist Kris Pangilinan, Kalamansi Collective aims to celebrate the Filipino immigrant story in a way that you can proudly flaunt through apparel. Officially launched on June 12, 2023, which also happens to be Philippine Independence Day, the brand was created as an homage to Filipino immigrant families.
“I started the brand to pay tribute to our immigrant families and to celebrate the fruits of their labor…” “We wanted to show our appreciation for immigrants who share the same story.” — Pangilinan.
Immigration is not the easiest route, but if there’s one thing Filipinos are known for, it’s their resilient nature.
Coming from an immigrant family himself, he understands firsthand the struggles and sacrifices that entail starting a new life in a foreign country. His mom worked multiple jobs as a caregiver and often spent more time taking care of other families, he recalls. Kalamansi Collective, as a brand, aims to create products that honor that story.
Kalamansi is the Philippine lime or lemon and is a citrus hybrid native to the country. Kris landed on the catchy name to highlight the fruit and give it the recognition it deserves. “You often hear about yuzu; however, kalamansi deserves to be in the conversation for the world’s best citrus. We are simply showing the world what we’ve got!” Pangilinan enthuses.
Kalamansi Bomber Jacket
Photos grabbed with permission from Kalamansi Collective website
The ‘Hello Ma’amSir’ design, which comes in cap and tee versions, is a nod to the warm greeting when you enter a store in the Philippines. Their bestselling tote bag that reads, ‘This bag contains Filipino party leftovers’ is a cheeky reference to the custom of never coming home empty-handed whenever you attend a get-together hosted by Filipinos.
They also recently dropped the ‘more than just adobo’ crewneck, which is a statement on the diversity of Filipino cuisine, as well as a limited edition Kalamansi Collective logo lightweight bomber jacket.
Kalamansi Collective also has a great initiative called “Support Your Local Filipino Store,” which is a poster that they give to fellow Filipino-owned businesses to put on their storefront. With this, Pangilinan hopes to help foster a sense of community among Filipino entrepreneurs in Toronto and encourage people to support these businesses.
They do not have a physical store (for now!), but you can see Kalamansi Collective’s full line of products and order through the website. They are also regulars at weekend markets in and around GTA, so follow them on Instagram (@kalamansi.collective) for updates.
Their next pop-up will be at Barkada MRKT on November 5, 2023, at Parkdale Hall. See you there?