They say that fashion is a reflection of our self-expression. For Miki Borinaga, it is an exploration of household textiles beyond their original purpose that gives birth to her ideas
Who said you can’t be fashionable and sustainable at the same time? Slow fashion brand Kael Street is committed to turning old household textiles and reviving vintage items into new clothing pieces, giving these pieces “the best life it could live,” as said by founder Miki Borinaga. Aside from reworking these textiles to create new pieces, she also spices it up with hand embroidery. Her skill and talent in needlework hasn’t failed it and continues to give life to the clothes she has made.
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Welcome to Kael Street
Kael Street is more than a brand. “It’s become an avenue to experiment with colors, prints, and silhouettes outside of what’s normally available at these huge fast fashion stores,” the founder happily shared. Miki’s brand is her ideas and her “old soul” brought to life. Kael Street was heavily inspired by Borinaga’s love for old music and vintage fashion. “I wanted to revive certain styles from vintage fashion that I don’t see often these days. We’re all about exploring what unused household textiles could be beyond their given purpose,” she explained.
“The idea of painting an image with threads has always fascinated me. I think my love for it comes from a place of meeting certain needs artistically.”
– Miki Borinaga on her love for needlework
Taking pride in the creativity and uniqueness of Filipino craftsmanship, Miki is determined to bring out the best in Filipino artistry through embracing traditional crafts and blending it with modern styles, such as her repurposing of these textiles. “My goal is to try and make things a bit better than it was before,” the founder said with determination.
Vintage items and fabrics are often damaged over time. With the right repairs through mending vintage textiles and pizzazing them up with embroidery—a form of meditation for her, Miki uses her creativity to create something new. “I honestly just follow my gut,” the founder said candidly, referring to her creative process. “I can’t overthink it. I need to be excited about what I’m making otherwise it’s just soulless work and I really think people can sense that.”
Mission: Sustainable
With a brand that puts sustainability at its forefront, Miki admitted that she is still trying to be a better and more responsible consumer. Since she started Kael Street, Miki has been doing her part in the little ways that she can such shopping less, especially from fast fashion brands and upcycling clothes that she’s bored of until they’re a unique piece. “It may not be much in the grand scheme of things, but it’s the little things we do consistently that could lead to a better change,” Borinaga stated honestly.
Fashion is such a huge part of who I am, and clothes are a medium of expression for me so it’s definitely been a challenge to build better habits in that aspect.
– Miki Borinaga, Founder of Kael Street
This 2025, Miki Borinaga encourages us to do our part in building sustainable habits. “Expose yourself to the history of things. There’s so much to learn from the past,” she said passionately. “Knowing how we got to this point, how the people before us have adapted to harsh life with limited resources, and all the human errors that we could learn from may help us create sustainable habits that could better our lives in the long run.”
Featured Image and Photos: KAEL STREET (via Instagram)
