Super natural
MANILA, Philippines - Designers Renee Salud and Len Nepomuceno-Guiao showcased the beauty and versatility of natural fibers in a show sponsored by the Fiber Industry Development Authority (FIDA).
Secretary Arthur Yap of the Department of Agriculture, under which FIDA operates, says the show is an excellent opportunity to showcase the beauty of the Philippine natural fibers such as pina, abaca and jusi and generate much-needed demand, particularly since the industry is in great need of support. Farmers and weavers rely heavily on natural fibers like piña, abaca and jusi for their livelihood.
Natural fibers are at the heart of an eco-fashion movement that seeks to create garments that are sustainable at every stage of their life cycle, from production to disposal. “This is why FIDA strongly supports local weavers. They are at the core of a very vibrant and promising fiber industry,” says FIDA administrator Cecilia Gloria Soriano.
The event also showcased the adeptness of local weavers who came from the La Herminia Piña Weaving Industry (LHPI) in Kalibo, Aklan, a duly licensed manufacturer and trader of hand-woven piña cloth, piña silk, abaca-cotton-silk, piña bastos-abaca-cotton and fine abaca cloth.
Handloom weaving has always been a traditional craft at LHPI and the company prides itself in using only natural fiber from pineapple, silk cocoons, abaca and cotton and the fabrics are colored using vegetable dye. LHPI exerts great effort in preserving the cultural heritage of hand-weaving because each process is done traditionally—from manual extraction of fibers to weaving.
“As a Filipino fashion designer, it is my advocacy to promote indigenous fabric like piña fiber. It is one of the most unique fabrics in the Philippines and comparable with silk organza. My collection is an evolution of Filipiniana dressing, it is young, classic, wearable and global,” says Salud, who adds, “Other designers don’t touch Filipiniana because they find it rural and ‘barriotic,’ but I always instill the Filipino in my designs.”
Describing her collection as “sophisticated innocence,” Nepomuceno-Guiao used piña, jusi, Mikado and taffeta design as fabrics for her collection that is inspired by “the monochrome number of black and white forms in visual arts like photography.” Nepomuceno-Guiao specializes in bridal gowns and evening wear and is currently the board treasurer of the Fashion and Design Council of the Philippines.
