Jackie Ortiz - Arts Professional and Content Producer, Founder of Sarap Tees

Jackie Ortiz is a Pasadena, CA based Arts Professional and Content Producer. Jackie works at the Pasadena Playhouse as the Digital Marketing and Content Manager and is the founder of Sarap Tees, a clothing brand celebrating and representing Filipino food through bold letters and fun colors. Sarap Tees launched in August 2019 with their signature Pancit and Lumpia tees, and have since grown in collaborations and new products. The Filipino food featured on the shirts coincide with each season, a Halo Halo sweatshirt and black Sisig tee for Winter and lighter styles coming in for Spring/Summer. Feeling rooted in the Fil Am community of LA, Jackie has grown her collection and has collaborated with fellow Fil Am entrepreneurs. Sarap Tees was part of FilAm Fam’s Pancit Party to ring in the new year, with Jackie performing an original song about pancit— it’s place in Filipino culture and importance in celebrations. Sarap Tees continues to grow, with an upcoming launch of kids sizes and a Kickin’ it with Calamansi event in collaboration with FilAm Fam at Bebot Long Beach on March. 15.

saraptees.com
@saraptees

What is the message behind your brand? What do you advocate for? 
The message behind the brand is, on a base level, to wear what you eat. It’s a great way for FilAms like me to reclaim their FIlipino identity, and wear their love for their culture and their food proudly for everyone to see. I, for one,grew up running away from my Filipino-ness – mostly because of the community I was surrounded by. In my adolescence there was a part of me that didn’t want to be Filipino, and I hated having to explain myself and “where I’m from.

It wasn’t until I moved to Los Angeles and saw how the FilAm community not only thrives here, but really lifts each other up. It lit a fire within me to do a deep-dive on myself: how my roots have impacted where I am in life, and how I carry my culture with me into almost everything I do. There’s something beautiful about being uniquely Filipino, and Filipino American.

The brand was created as a tried and true celebration of Filipino food. Filipino cuisine has not gotten it’s due. They serve both as a conversation starter to people who may not be aware of what Filipino cuisine is, and as a point of pride for those who want to revel in its complex, palatable glory. That’s why the majority of the shirts exist the way they do, as a simple design and gateway to Filipino culture. 

Where do you draw inspiration from? 
I view the shirts the same way the chef would view a menu. That’s the curation process we are working towards. In our initial planning, we asked “What are the staples – the essentials and cornerstones to Filipino cuisine?” Which incited our first few products, namely the Pancit and Lumpia tee.

The very first tee we made was our signature Calamansi tee. I’m an actual Calamansi fangirl. Before I founded Sarap Tees, I initially wanted to start a YouTube channel or Instagram handle called “Calamansi Queen,” where I focused on all Calamansi recipes. But then I realized I’m not that great of a cook and I went towards this instead. 

You grew up in Chicago, why did you move to LA? 
I came to LA to get serious about my relationship and my creative pursuits. 

I actually just celebrated my 6-year LAnniversary on February 17th. I get nostalgic during this time of year, mostly thinking about the last week I was in Chicago, and how it was -40 degrees. So I went from jumping onto a plane with 3 pairs of leggings and 2 pairs of socks and landed in LA in the 70 degree weather.

What do you find uplifting about your work?
Seeing that something as simple as a t-shirt can not just bring people joy, but unify communities, give FilAms a sense of pride, and be a true gateway to conversations about Filipino cuisine. 

It’s uplifting to see how the community lifts each other up and celebrates each other. I’ve been able to collab with other FilAm entrepreneurs (like FilAmFamGram, Cafe 86, Salamat Yoga and of course Honey My Heart). From this type of work, I’ve found that collaboration is truly the cornerstone of community-rooted business. Filipino owned businesses should be rooted in community, not competition. We should be rooting to lift each other up and highlight each other’s work – It’s been gratifying find a community that does that for each other. 

What has been instrumental in your personal and creative growth? 
In both starting this business and working in non-profit theater, I’ve learned that progress comes from sitting down and having hard conversations. Being open, honest, and not shying away from conversations that may lead to growth. 

A little while back I started FirstGenSeries (instagram.com/firstgenseries), where First Generation Americans can submit stories and I animate them and create sound bites. That was, in reality, the beginnings of embracing Asian American identity and rallying to create community. The genesis of that project really led me to where I am now.

What are some of your favorite collaborations? 
FilAmFamGram’s Pancit Party was our first foray in a pop-up event/collaboration that we’ve done. I also had the pleasure of taking part in the Halo Halo Mixer at Cafe 86, and most recently at Fun Shui Market with Salamat Yoga.

It’s a goal of ours to continue collaborating with FilAm Entrepreneurs in Los Angeles and around the nation. 

How did you get involved with FilAm Fam? And what inspired the pancit song? 
Julie (@FilAmFamGram) reached out to me on Instagram. We realized we were both local to Pasadena and grabbed coffee to get to know each other. We’re kindred in that we’re both idea people, so we really hit it off in our initial conversation – bouncing ideas back and forth and really being a sounding board for each other. 

Before working in Non-Profit theater, I taught music in Orange County. And I haven’t done it in a long time, but loved working with kids. Teaching was a joy of mine when I first moved to LA and I definitely missed it. She asked if I was willing to write a song about Pancit. 

I never grew up with children's music based on the Filipino American experience and it was a fun project to view it as a teaching moment about Pancit’s importance in Filipino culture, especially during the New Year. It was a lot of topic to cover in a digestible way, and I loved taking on that challenge.

What’s next? Future endeavors? 
I’m excited to roll out kids’ sizes. We are hoping to launch it all in the next few months. Our Spring/Summer line is slated to release pretty soon, and we have some tricks up our sleeves that you won’t want to miss!

If you’re in LA, I’ll be selling our Signature Calamansi Tees at @FilAmFamGram’s “Kickin’ It with Calamansi” event at Bebot Filipino Food in Long Beach, CA on March 15.

In general though, I’m super duper stoked for more collaborations, more involvement, more popup events, more shirts, and really connecting to the community.

Photos courtesy of Jackie Ortiz, Sarap Tees.