BINI fashion: Fun, sustainable, evolving
Dressed in an assortment of cropped tops, shrunken cardis, asymmetrical pleated skirts, and patchwork trousers, the P-pop group Bini look like young girls playing dress-up with whatever they can get their hands on. That DIY vibe when it comes to their looks has persisted since their launch as teens back in 2021.
Now in their early 20s, Aiah, Colet, Maloi, Gwen, Stacey, Mikha, Jhoanna, and Sheena have a string of catchy songs under their belt including “Salamin, Salamin,” “Pantropiko” and “Karera,” with the accompanying music videos that have been listened and danced to countless times.
Stylist Ica Villanueva, the group’s visual director, is responsible for whatever the girls wear in public, whether the event is big or small. In an interview with Lifestyle, she talked about how she landed the styling gig, her bid for sustainability, and what she has planned for Bini as the girls grow up and mature.
Villanueva recalled how she was given the chance to style Bini for an appearance on the ABS-CBN TV show ASAP in 2021. She impressed the group’s managers such that they ended up offering the job to her. Since then, she has been in charge of putting together looks for all eight members, who now consider her an “ate” or older sister.
Evolution
“Their evolution from the early days to the present has been a big transformation for them, because as they’re growing up, their bodies are changing. Their tastes are changing as well. They know what they’re comfortable performing in or wearing, and they are able to tell me how they feel,” she said. To this end, she always make it a point to pack backup pieces in case they get their period or don’t want to wear a sleeveless top.
“When I first started styling them, they were around 17 or 18. Some of them are curvier now. That’s why we’ve become more careful about the clothes we put them in.” Villanueva has an assistant who helps dress the group.
She pointed out how Maloi is one of the “It” girls in P-pop and often lands on best-dressed lists. “The ribbons that she wears are now associated with her. They’ve become part of her branding.”
Throughout our interview, Villanueva repeated words like “branding” and “eras”. She also said that when she puts together looks, she makes sure that the overall results can be replicated by Bini fans—called Blooms—using apparel they might already have in their closets.
Ribbons and ruffles
If they’re so inclined, they can then upgrade their looks by attaching ribbons and ruffles or bottle caps and plastic bottles. The last two elements have appeared in the group’s videos, but Ica transformed them into harness-style tops or glittery accessories with the use of spray paint and heat guns. The bottle caps were hammered flat, reshaped, and painted, while PET bottles were cut into discs, and heat was applied to them before they were formed into flowers.
“The girls have different branding depending on their personality but—as of now and as a group—their branding is very wholesome and classic, but at the same time very relatable and reachable.”
Blooms in their 30s or 40s might recall Jolina Magdangal during her heyday in the ‘90s, with the colorful hair accessories and outfits worn by Bini. “I made sure that the branding is never intimidating. Fans can make their own versions, which I’ve seen many do,” Villanueva said.
Dressing eight young women in looks that are different but cohesive when viewed as a whole is tiring but fulfilling work—and Villanueva is up for the task. She is not averse to reusing clothes the girls have worn because she also wants to show that one can come up with new looks with just a bit of imagination and creativity.
“We challenge fans to recreate the looks in the videos using what they have. In ‘Salamin’ for example, I dressed the girls in denim outfits, but I used elements from past outfits and whatever borloloy I could find at home. I hope that the fans cultivate a similar mindset of reusing, recycling. Hindi tayo dapat tapon lang ng tapon (We shouldn’t just keep tossing out our clothes).”
Fresh ideas
Whenever Bini releases a new song, Villanueva comes up with fresh ideas that can be used for the accompanying video. “I visualize a new look for that song or era to reinforce the branding… para may retention. So when they have guestings or promotions, the look is consistent. There’s no disconnect.”
Villanueva is looking beyond the present and is storing ideas for the group when they’re older. “I’m reserving pegs. Hindi pwede ilabas lahat ng bongga natin (We can’t come out with all our looks all at once). Mauubusan ako kaya I reserve them. I make sure that for every song, I offer something new.”
She also taps young local designers she believes in or—in the case of Marian Zara—who believed in Bini even before the group’s popularity skyrocketed.
“Marian Zara was there from the start, so we’ve cultivated a strong relationship with her,” Villanueva said. “I also look for and work with promising design graduates. The attitude and work ethic of those I choose to work with are very important because I want to surround Bini with positive people.”
Zara described her early designs for Bini as experimental, because they were the first girl group she had worked with. “Villanueva would give me her vision for each of the girls’ looks and we did the execution,” Zara told Lifestyle.
Since then, she said her designs have evolved “based on collaborations, trends, and personal touches.” “The girls are starting to discover their styles and preferences. They are also becoming environmentally aware. Some of the clothes they previously wore were deconstructed into a new set of outfits for them.
Trials and errors
“In my three years working with them, there were trials and errors in design executions. We got to discover each of their personalities based on how confident they are while wearing our custom-designed outfits. From there, we would tweak the designs to match their individual personalities,” Zara added.
Villanueva also approached designer Ehrran Montoya, known for constructing flamboyant gowns for both beauty queens and drag queens, to come up with outfits for Biniverse, Bini’s series of concerts held earlier this year.
“When she contacted me, she was excited because it meant that the girls had made it,” Montoya told Lifestyle. “Bini is usually dressed in street couture, outfits that evoke Y2K fashion, and they wanted something different for the concert finale.”
Montoya came up with a metallic suite where he mixed silver and gold fabrics. “I had to review each girl’s style because some of them are boyish and prefer wearing pants instead of skirts. I consulted with my younger sister, who was more familiar with the group.”
The designer recalled how the girls were surprised by the finished product. They looked striking in their metallic outfits. In her almost four years as Bini’s visual director, has Villanueva ever encountered negative feedback on her styling skills?
Not at all, was her quick answer. “There have been very few—I can count them on the fingers of one hand. There are some diehard fans who ask why another girl’s outfit is ‘nicer’ than the one worn by their bias. Those would be the most vehement, but really, all of them have been very appreciative.”
