Living Waling Waling: Acuña’s Runway Nurtures Filipino Intersectionality

Heidi Grace Acuña presents Living Waling Waling, a fashion event celebrating the matriarchal power of the orchid. Amassing more than twenty artists across mediums in the total production of this show, expect upcycled fashion, eclectic dance performance, and a side of Filipino bites.  

Heidi Grace Acuña is a multi-disciplinary artist who sublimes their sense of disconnect to explore topics of identity, culture, gender, and home. Acuña has a background in sculpture with a permanent piece at North Seattle College. Since the 2019 pandemic they have expanded their craft into other mediums like fashion.

Acuña’s inspiration for the show is seen threaded through her previous artwork in AKO (Waling-Waling), buwaya baby, and Queen of the Philippine Orchid with anthropomorphic flowers symbolizing aspiration and development. Acuña draws inspiration from their FIlipino heritage and their country’s flourishing flora and foliage. Living Waling Waling brings Acuña’s vision of the orchid to life, illustrating progress and the never ending drive in creating to live. 

Their art has been shown in galleries across Seattle, their fashion has been seen on television, and they appeared in many competitions like Fruit Bowl. They can now be seen costuming performers at the House of Kilig, an art house dedicated to teaching and creating. 

Details of a work in progress with gold threaded embroidery in an Acuña design.

The Evergreen Echo

During a private viewing of the in-progress fashion pieces, I got an early look of the Hawai’i and Washington floral palette complemented by a silky and raw mix of textures. In the 12-piece collection, the variety of fabrics run from creamy satins, floral lace, and woven palm fibers. Many fabrics are sourced from the Philippines from recycled barong tagalog to dried leaves. Some areas mentioned were Philippine burros where Heidi’s mother lived.

The shapes of the pieces run from unstructured draping to strong shoulder pieces. Many of these shapes are influenced from Filipino fashion culture and seen in traditional attire. Heidi works on one-for-one clothing and can be gender-neutral in shape, keeping to the overall average body. Some shapes are kept from the original recycled material, which is then altered with added details like new rivets, seams, and more for expanded accessibility and originality. 

In one in-progress piece, Heidi draws on their painting background and adds floral patterns directly onto the fabric. This is seen on upscaled outfits and form accentuating bodices. These floral themes are also incorporated throughout the production on embroidery, dress design, headpieces, and more in the show.  

It might be time for a picnic. The event will be held May 3, 2025, at the Seattle Center mural amphitheater. Bring a blanket or chair if you don’t want to sit directly onto the grass, as there is uncovered lawn seating. Some light bites would be available for purchase from the event and other nearby eateries.