#LifeLokal: 'Good Luck, Humans' wants to bring back the joy of dressing up
Ever heard of dopamine dressing? Apparently, there is such a thing. It's the intention of boosting your mood through clothes—which is exactly what slow fashion brand Good Luck, Humans is doing—bringing happiness.
In 2018, Apol Massebieau, a former magazine editor, created Good Luck, Humans to challenge herself. Her passion for garments boiled over into an insatiable urge to create clothes for women.
“I consider myself a creative and I always like challenges. I really wanted to make clothes for women,” she told PhilSTAR L!fe.
And so, with a bit of exposure to fashion (her mom used to make garments) and business (her parents encouraged her and her sisters to set up their own businesses), Apol started a clothing line in the Philippines.
Apol's laidback lifestyle and quirky cool personality are plain to see in the range of dresses, tops, bottoms, and even accessories, all of which incorporate different hand-sewing techniques.
What’s in a name
Talking about the brand’s name, Apol randomly decided on “Good Luck, Humans” thinking it "sounded catchy, different" and witty.
“Kasi ganun naman yung gusto ko, I wanted to create a brand that had wit [and] made people happy,” she shared. “I mean, why do we dress up? We dress up because it makes us feel good. And I really wanted to do something that makes you happy. And Good Luck, Humans because we we just really need luck and luck kasi does not mean by chance, I also believe we create our own luck.”
We dress up because it makes us feel good. And I really wanted to do something that makes you happy.
Filipino techniques
Made for Filipinos in mind, Good Luck, Humans pieces are very loose, breezy, airy, and comfortable clothes in bright colors.
“Unang una, mainit sa Pilipinas and really, we don't do a lot of layering,” she said. “We want to look good, but at the same time, ayaw natin na pawis na pawis tayo.”
Apol also tapped different local artisans who use different techniques to make the clothes—there are Batangueño mothers who do smocking and there are also women from Las Piñas who do the embroidery.
“Doon din nakikita yung pagka Filipina nya because we do we work with women entrepreneurs and artisans.”
But more importantly, Apol was inspired by the Filipinos’ cheerfulness. Thus, she wanted clothes that evoke happiness.
“As people, we are very bright. We're loud, we’re funny, we’re always laughing,” Apol said as she explained why colors are integral part of her brand’s identity.
She added: “I would like to think that the the clothes that we make, me and my team, are clothes that make you happy. It gives you that Filipino smile.”
Make (careful) risks
To make the brand stand out, Apol says she likes to take risks and “observe people all the time.”
“We just have to take risk and just come out with new things like new things, new techniques, new colors, new lens, new hemlines and just push forward. Not afraid and just stay exuberant because I think the brand is about; a big part of it is about exuberance.”
But just like in any venture, mistakes are bound to happen—and Apol says that’s okay.
“As a designer, I'll make mistakes and do something a little bit too out there. It won't sell but I think that's really part of the process. You just really also need to learn to be comfortable with failures,” she muses.
While she’s “not scared” of these failures, she does believe that one still has to be careful and not “take too many risks” for the sake of their employees.
We just want to ensure that when it gets to you, you know, pinag-isipan. Pag sinuot mo masaya ka kasi maayos yung pagkakagawa.
‘Anything well-made gives you a sense of happiness’
Besides color, design, and technique, Good Luck, Humans clothes were made thoughtfully using the best quality materials and workmanship.
“I realized happiness also comes from the fact that you're wearing a well-made garment,” Apol said.
“We want to help give them that feeling of happiness, not just through the colors and through the smocking, but also in the feeling that they're really wearing something that we put a lot of thought and a lot of energy and time into, that we will quality control it,” she added.
“We just want to ensure that when it gets to you, you know, pinag-isipan. Pag sinuot mo masaya ka kasi maayos yung pagkakagawa.”
And with that, Good Luck, Humans is exactly what it means: your clothes can be your good luck charm.
