Tris Lovetana Makes Clothes That Feel Like Home

What began as a way of connecting to her Filipino roots through her lola’s sewing machine has since become viral fashion brand Lovetunay: this is the story of how Tris Lovetana stitched together something she could call her own through love, memory, and heritage.

We often have a special place in our hearts for our grandparents’ love. It warms and comforts from the inside out, and hits a little different compared to the way our parents show affection. Now take that love and try to materialize it into clothing; it’s a tall order when these feelings seem too immense to express in tangible form, yet Tristanne “Tris” Lovetana has managed to do just that with her brand Lovetunay. 

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The Petal Puffs Of Lovetunay

I first encountered Tris through a TikTok on my For You Page—she was with her maternal grandmother, Lola Belen. It was a sweet and heart-warming video that made me miss my own grandmother. In it, Tris—a Filipino fashion designer hailing from Toronto, Canada—announced that she would be renaming the hero product line of her brand Lovetunay, changing it from Sampaguita Scrunchies to Petal Puffs.

“My Lola Belen actually inspired my Petal Puffs,” Tris shares in an exclusive interview with Lifestyle Asia. . “She has always told me that her favorite hairstyle on me is when I wear my hair up in a bun or tied back. Naturally, I became obsessed with creating an accessory that complemented that look.”

This is how the Petal Puff came to life: a scrunchie carefully designed to resemble a flower in full bloom. It stands as a beautiful reminder that so much of Tris’ work is grounded in small, everyday moments, including the encouraging words of her family.

The Root Of All Flowers: How Tris Lovetana Found Sewing

Tris learned how to thread a needle before she even learned how to ride a bike. “Ever since I was a child, I’ve loved being crafty and making things with my hands,” she explains.

Though the designer didn’t grow up in the Philippines, her deep love and appreciation for Filipino culture stem from her family. “Everything I know about being Filipino comes from my family, who immigrated to Canada. A lot of my understanding of the Philippines was passed down through stories that happened long before I was even born,” she says.

Growing up thousands of kilometers away from her homeland, Tris often felt disconnected from her roots. In search of a bridge back to her culture, she found comfort and connection through fashion and beauty. It was her paternal grandmother, Lola Nelly, who inspired her to begin sewing at a very young age, a cookie tin filled with needle and thread the way many other Filipino lolas do it.

“She would let me cut up her old shirts and practice sewing on them,” Tris says. “Those moments are what sparked my love for fashion and upcycling.” Beyond Lola Nelly, Tris also credits Lola Belen for shaping her into the person she is today. “Her humility and gratitude have deeply influenced the way I approach both life and my work,” she adds.

Pursuing a creative career within a Filipino immigrant family may seem unconventional to some. Spend enough time online, and you’ll come across the usual stereotypes: you’re either directed to become a nurse or to win a televised singing competition powered by that Filipino throat chakra. Yet Tris took the less beaten path, and remains grateful to her family for letting her do so.

“One thing I’ve always appreciated about my family is that they never pressured me into pursuing a certain career path,” she shares. “They knew I loved art and design, and instead of discouraging it, they supported me fully and helped me believe it was possible.” Her culture influences almost everything she creates, inadvertently yet meaningfully finding its way into her practice over time.

Born Out Of Love Is Lovetunay

Tris’ brand, Lovetunay, was born, as its name already hints, out of love. When Lola Nelly—the grandmother who first taught her how to thread a needle—passed away, she left the family a sewing machine. It was that very machine that would later stitch together Tris’ dreams of building something of her own. “I eventually taught myself how to use it. I would alter my old clothes and thrifted pieces to fit my style: adding elastic to waistbands, cropping shirts, and turning hoodies into matching sets,” she shares.

During the pandemic, and like everyone else around the world at the time, Tris found herself confined to her room. With time on her hands and nowhere to go, she sat in front of the heirloom sewing machine and decided to transform what she learned from her grandmother into something bigger and distinctly her own.

“Fabric stores were closed, so I started using what we already had at home. Old blankets, curtains, and fabrics that my mom saved over the years,” she recalls. “I began making tote bags, shirts, face masks, and accessories, and posting them on social media. People started asking if they were for sale, and slowly, it turned into a business.”

While Lovetunay was born during the pandemic, Tris says the emotional identity of the brand was ultimately influenced by her interactions with customers. Their reactions helped define and refine the direction the brand would eventually take.

Nostalgia was the common denominator among these responses. “I loved hearing people say that a piece reminded them of their childhood, their grandmother, a throw pillow they grew up with, or a specific memory they hadn’t thought about in years,” Tris says. “There’s something so special to me about fashion being able to transport someone emotionally. There’s a girlishness and warmth to Lovetunay that feels very personal to me, but also comforting and familiar to other people.”

Sustainability And Beyond

For Tris, sustainability has never been about following a trend or packaging herself into the neat aesthetics of ethical fashion. It’s simply the natural byproduct of the way she creates. Every Lovetunay piece begins with secondhand materials she personally sources: thrifted fabrics, forgotten textiles, and vintage pieces that she transforms into something entirely new. The process is slower, more unpredictable, and far from scalable, but that’s precisely what gives the brand its soul.

“One of the biggest challenge is that everything I make uses thrifted and secondhand materials, which means I can’t really create products in massive quantities,” she explains. “Sometimes I’ll find the perfect fabric once and never come across it again.”

Rather than resisting those limitations, Tris learned to embrace them. The rarity of each material means every piece becomes one-of-one, carrying its own history and individuality. That philosophy mirrors Lovetunay itself, a brand that’s deeply personal and candid in the best way, and one that focuses more of its purpose and heritage rather than excess and expansion.

Tris also sees her work as a way to foster connection and creativity within her community. As a Filipino creative building a brand on a global stage, she approaches the experience with both gratitude and humility. “I’m so grateful for the support I’ve received from fellow Filipinos who connect with my story and the intention behind my work, especially other children of immigrants who sometimes feel like observers of their own culture while growing up abroad,” she shares.

That desire for connection has since expanded into something more experiential: recently, Tris began hosting sewing and upcycling workshops across the Greater Toronto Area, teaching people the basics of sewing, sustainability, and intentional creation. For her, Lovetunay is about more than making clothes—it’s about preserving artistry, sharing knowledge, and building a community that anchors itself on the truest forms of self-expression.

Photos courtesy of Tris Lovetana.