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This is an excerpt from Local Love of MEGA’s September 2025 issue
When BEA Constantino began her brand Herman & Co., renamed to Studio Süg in 2021, she was already attuned to her cultural heritage. She used her roots in Mindanao and the stories she heard about it in her youth as the foundation of a brand that espouses not just slow fashion but also the concepts that go with it: a way of being that mixes a slower lifestyle with cultural integrity.
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Studio Süg “aims to put a special spotlight on artisan products from Mindanao, specifically Zamboanga and Sulu, while hopefully bringing the slow-paced probinsya lifestyle to every home. Sug means ‘current’ in native Tausug speak. People from Sulu are hence known as ‘people of the current’ or ‘Tau’ (people) ‘sug’ (current in a body of water),” explains Constantino.
The Tausugs were previously organized under the Sultanate of Sulu and are characterized by their bravery, seafaring skills and cultural practices such as the Pangalay dance. They are celebrated for their history, culture and political independence. They are also known for a particular costume. Tausug communities can further be found in Malaysia.
During the Spanish colonial period, Tausug soldiers resisted repeated invasions by the Spaniards. The Sultanate of Sulu remained a de facto independent state until 1915, following the Moro Rebellion. This resulted in the state being annexed by the United States.
Today, the Tausug form a part of the wider Muslim majority with Moro political identity in the Southern Philippines, and continue their shared struggle for self-determination. The battles in Mindanao go on.
While Constantino says that supporting skilled artisans provides a platform that links conflicted communities in the South with a global audience, it is just one part of the story of Studio Süg, and of Constantino herself. “Everytime I’m asked to describe what my ancestral culture is like, I instantly see a slideshow of colors in my head. Everything is in vivid tones, from signage to house paint, and of course, to textiles. It is almost blindingly bright and this is where I really feel Southern Mindanao’s long history of courage given what it’s had to endure over time. And you feel it in the garments too. The neutral palette practically doesn’t exist and this has always been a consistent jumping point from how we form stories for our collections. Brilliant and pleasantly arresting are words I usually associate with our culture and it makes me truly proud to be of this unique heritage,” she states.
She shares that Filipino-ness means embracing the diverse communities in the country and acknowledging each other’s differences. “Studio Süg always asks the question ‘Taga-saan ka?’” While one person may have adopted a culture different from another, “We all came from somewhere, and we love encouraging like-minded folks to delve into their roots as well.”
Read more of Studio Süg’ in MEGA’s September 2025 issue now available on Readly, Magzter, Press Reader and Zinio.
Images courtesy of Studio Süg.
