This message from Ayumi Nishigawa, President of, the Non-Profit Organization DEAR ME, is a social contribution through fashion.
On the 5th of this month, we opened the fashion school “coxco Lab”.
We are so happy to have the opening day with our wonderful students, teachers, colleagues, and sponsors. Thank you to everyone who came to the opening ceremony and to all those who came from Japan to support us.
Fashion show activities with kids living in vulnerable communities in the Philippines started in 2015 when I was in 3rd-year college. But the show alone won’t change the lives of children or their futures. I’ve been aiming to establish a fashion school for about six years now, thinking that education and employment will be the key to helping them realize their dreams.
Four years ago, I quit my company for this challenge. It was a preparation period that I couldn’t say went well due to the Coronavirus, but thanks to my friends and everyone who supported me, I finally was able to start.
The name of the school we opened is “coxco Lab”. As a laboratory of the brand coxco which we currently operate, we have a vision where future school alumni can work with the brand.
The school is run by NPO, a non-profit organization, while the brand is LTD, limited. Creating a non-profit and profit chain will be the challenge ahead, and coxco will expand to the Philippines this year. Here’s the real beginning. As always, I can’t do anything alone so I’d appreciate your support! Thank you for your continued support.
And this time with the opening of the school, I’ve been closely connected to TV2 stations since last year! Please let me announce again if it goes on air.
About coxco Lab
Funded by Japan-based fashion brand coxco, the coxco Lab Fashion School, located in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, operates as a vocational training school in collaboration with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.
For the first year, a fashion craft course will be conducted focused on sustainable fashion . Additional courses will be about clothing design and pattern, and total beauty.
Ten men and women aged 16 years old and above will be accommodated by the coxco Fashion Lab free of charge. Classes will be conducted by vocational school teachers.
The aim is to contribute to the self-reliance and independence of students and communities by further conducting classes on Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs, financial literacy and reproductive health education.
Marketing of the Lab’s products made by its students will primarily be with the group brand coxco. Promotion and sales support from other sponsor companies and through crowd funding will be utilized for the overall objective of creating education and employment opportunities in the future.
Together, let us create equal opportunities in our society.
NPO DEAR ME and coxco current partner non-government organizations are KnK Philippines and CHILDHOPE Philippines. Sponsor companies are Yogibo LLC., YAGI&CO.,LTD, UMU Technology Japan and MARUCHO Inc.
Those who would like to partner with NPO DEAR ME and coxco, please contact: Moe Komura. General Manager for Philippines, NPO DEAR ME through email: [email protected].