Alden Richards's recent venture is a clothing line specializing on athleisure clothes.
It is called Avel x Alden, a fashion collaboration with designer Avel Bacudio that took a year and a half to complete.
"It's a collection of jackets, tracksuits, jogging pants, and shirts as well," Alden tells the press at the launch party in XYLO at The Palace in Bonifacio Global City.
"The design basically came from my idea, which is my comfort clothes in every day. This is my travel wear. That's why when we were conceptualizing, 'Anong jackets natin? Anong designs ng damit na ilalabas natin?'
"Sabi ko, 'Pare, why not we go back to my clothes whenever I go to the airport, especially mga long travel?' Yung comfort clothes. That's why we came up with these jackets and these mga comfortable clothing."
In the beginning, Alden was admittedly apprehensive about the idea of launching his own collection because he has never been in anything in line with fashion.
He says, "Siguro po what really made me say yes to this project was when these people—pareng Avel, the team, the AxA team—really encouraged me na let's give it a shot. You'll never know unless you try."
At the same time, Alden, who turned 27 this year, has been trying to expand his interests. He continues, "Medyo now, I'm really going into a different perspective now that I'm in my late 20s, to venture into uncertainties.
"The more I'm uncertain about a thing or a project, all the more I want to do it regardless of what will happen or what the results will be."
Avel x Alden is set to have four releases until December.
COLLECTION FOR A CAUSE
For both Alden and designer Avel, this collection is something they are passionate about because of the deeper purpose behind the collection.
"This collaboration, collaboration talaga siya with an 'in.' Passion namin dalawa," Avel says.
"Hindi lang ito collaboration na para gumagawa ng clothes, para mabili ng mga tao, hindi. Para rin ma-support yung mga visually impaired children in Baguio City."
Apparently, the designer has been an ardent advocate for the visually impaired for seven years and counting. He often uses his events and galas to help the Northern Luzon Association for the Blind (NLAB) in Baguio City.
It is for this reason that Alden felt motivated to push through with the collaboration.
The Kapuso star says, "The deeper meaning of this project is for a cause, so sana after this launch, iyon yung mag-infiltrate sa isipan ng mga makakakita nito. Moreover, the clothes and the style and the designs that we're going to showcase tonight, it's really for the benefit of the blind kids and for the blind people of Baguio City."
ALDEN'S RECENT WAVE OF SUCCESS
Along with the release of his fashion collection, Alden is still overwhelmed by the success of his latest film Hello, Love, Goodbye. The actor-endorser is also thankful for his upcoming TV project, The Gift.
Reflecting on his current blessings, Alden says, "Parang so far, lahat nang ginagawa ko lahat orchestrated. Parang lahat nagja-jive sila in a way, lahat connect-connect for some reason.
"Like I'm doing this collaboration with Avel for the benefit of the blind kids and my role in my upcoming teleserye will be a vision person that went through an accident at nawalan ng panginin.
"With everything that's been happening right now, I'm just really thankful. Siguro talaga, up to this point, pinapatunayan ang salitang pasensya. Patience really pays off.
"If you're patient enough and you just keep on holding on to your faith and prayers, everything will be given to you in the right time. So far, I've been a living testament to that."