Filipinos bring abaca fashion to Athens

**simple** · 07-01-2014, 01:44 AM

ATHENS, Greece – “Banaca goes Athena” was a fashion exhibition by internationally known Filipina designer Dita Sandico Ong, the original banaca wrap artiste, held last June 12, on the 116th Philippine Independence Day.

CHIC. Banaca wrap is made of the fibers found in banana and abaca

The show featured the uniqueness and versatility of the banaca fiber interwoven into the apparel of both men and women.

“This is part of our ‘Meet my Country’ series which we initiated in 2012 in line with our economic and cultural diplomacy efforts.” Ambassador Meynardo Lb. Montealegre said. “We aim to enhance awareness of the ingenuity and artistry of the Filipino,” he added.

Back in June 2012, the Embassy displayed Philippine furnishings and home décor that blended antique and modern designs during its diplomatic reception. This was followed by a showcase of Filipino music, art, cuisine, furniture and fashion in May last year, when the Embassy hosted the Women’s International Club of Athens with “Meet my Country: The Philippines” at the Ambassador’s residence.

Lady ambassadors, ambassadors’ spouses, and business people attended the event. It was the first time the banaca wraps of Ms. Ong was introduced with the WIC ladies gamely trying on the apparel.

Banaca wrap is made of the fibers found in banana and abaca which are indigenous to the Philippines. The warm, wet and volcanic soil of the country is suitable to the propagation of abaca. Abaca is a natural fiber, strong enough to be used as cordage for the shipping industry and yet delicate enough to be manufactured into teabags. Its versatility is also manifested in the wide variety of products it could be used for, such as handbags, linen, hats and coasters.

According to the Fiber Industry Development Authority (FIDA) of the Department of Agriculture, the Philippines provides 85% of the world’s requirement for abaca.

The Fashion Exhibition is another first for the Philippine Embassy in Athens. The Ambassador wanted the guests not only to bond with each other and partake of the delicious Greek and Filipino dishes but also to learn more about the Philippines. The guests loved the Filipino food such as chicken adobo, beef longganisa and native delicacies such as pichi pichi and buchi.

It was the perfect venue for the guests to be acquainted with and appreciate the Philippines’ rich cultural heritage, and its creative and unique designs in fashion wear and accessories. The show elicited “oohs” and “ahhs” from both the male and female audience as the models paraded the various designs and ways of wearing the banaca wrap.

Philippine Honorary Consul in Cyprus Shemaine Bushnell Kyriakides wore one of the new collections of Ms. Ong in the finale.

After the show, Dita Sandico Ong attracted the interest of the ladies in the audience, including the lady ambassadors and ambassador’s spouses, with a demonstration on how to twist, curl and fold all the various banaca wrap styles such as Mariposa, Mori and Corina.

A reception exclusively for the Filipino community was held a week earlier at the Stratos Vasilikos Hotel (READ: Independence Day: PH embassy in Athens honors OFWs). – Rappler.com

Fabric made of Abaca & Banana Fiber

**simple** · 07-01-2014, 01:52 AM

I guess it's time to introduce Filipino Indigenous fabrics

Filipino fibers with flair are set to wow Italy

Gone are the frumpy maria claras and the milk-and-toast barong and black pants. Designers are giving Filipiniana a new spin with looks that range from structured to urban and bohemian.
Their fashion statements will be presented in a special show in Italy. “Fibre Filippine (Piña-Abaca-Banana) Go to Rome” is being shown Oct. 17-20 at the Aranciera di San Sisto, Via Valle delle Camene.
Organized by the Philippine Embassy in Rome, with the European Network of Filipinos in Diaspora, the event aims to educate the younger generation of Filipinos on the Filipino heritage.
The show features the collections of five designers specializing in the innovative use of indigenous fibers.
Growing up in the province, Renée Salud was fascinated with the colorful costumes of folk dancing.
With his background in ready-to-wear and advanced studies in draping and pattern-making, he adopted modern techniques in making Filipiniana clothes.
Salud became famous for dressing up beauty queens such as Melanie Marquez, Chat Silayan and Dorothy Bradley.
Old school

“I made a modern interpretation of the maria clara with a Japanese structure,” he says. He added volume and shape to the piña mini skirts. They’re matched with tops and panuelos (scarves) using faggotting, a decorative sewing technique that fuses two pieces of fabric with open stitches.
His barong Tagalog collection has Art Nouveau embroidery. Unlike the traditional barong with florid patterns, Salud’s version is more understated. “It’s tone-on-tone embroidery,” he explains.
Twinkle Ferraren’s training at Central St. Martin’s in London taught her to think out of the box. She was exposed to local fibers while working for Dita Sandico.

Ferraren became known for shifu, a fabric made from paper. More famous for swimwear, she would create cover-ups and overlays using piña.
For Italy, she worked with artisans from La Herminia, the oldest piña weaving center in Aklan, and T’boli weavers for tinalak.

PATIS TESORO.On Sirene: Blush handpainted gown in piña seda. On Maxine: Hand-painted and beaded wheel-print maria clara blouse and skirtmade from Silk Cocoon. Nude pumps from Primadonna
Ferraren uses native fabrics to create a hip, urban look. Her color palette has dark green—sourced from natural dye from the talisay tree—orange and purple.
Tinalak is used in strips for contrasting accents.

Ferraren’s concept is to mix and match separates so that natural materials can be slowly added to the wardrobe.
Patis Tesoro is known for her fastidious hand work and fabric manipulations using rich local fabrics, such as Mindanao silk and piña.

The proportions of her clothes flatter women with full figures or imperfect proportions.
She has been crusading for the revival of piña weaving.
Bohemian

“My look is Bohemian Filipiniana, more easy to wear, lighter and fun. It still has all the elements of piña, embroidery, callado and embellishments that are intrinsically Filipino,” she says.

“But there is less beading and lighter embroidery. I used the traditional layering of the kamison, anaguas, baro’t saya as choices to wear all together or not.”
The piña sleeveless kamison can be worn either as inner wear or outerwear and paired with baggy Moroccan pants that are similar in silhouette to the drawstring cotton saya.
Dita Sandico was driven to pursue her heritage by making clothes out of the inabel from Ilocos Sur. She then experimented with combining piña and linen to make contemporary Filipiniana.
Known as the “Wrap Artiste” of the Philippines, she collaborated with weavers from Catanduanes, and came up with her signature “banaca” (a hybrid of banana and abaca).

TWINKLE FERRAREN. On Sirene: Talisay colored separates with contrasting orange overskirt. On Maxine: Piña silk navy-blue one-shoulder dress, T’boli tinalak fabric and abaca (body) vest, and piña abaca cotton Talisay dyed opera coat. Black pumps by Primadonna
This material is stiff enough to form loops and swags, yet is soft enough to follow the contours and movements of the body.
Sandico created wraps in various patterns that could be worn as tops, skirts, jackets, dresses, collars or poufs.
Coming from a family of weavers of hablon and piña, Visayan designer Jaki Peñalosa made an impact by using traditional fibers in a contemporary fashion. Her clothes have streamlined silhouettes, asymmetric lines and modern layering.
US-based designer and textile technologist Anthony Cruz Legarda combines the romance of Philippine fashion with the practicality of the American look. He works with Filipino artisans to weave his fabrics and to make his characteristic bold embroidery.

Legarda uses native fabrics on foreign or western clothes such as the Nehru jacket, tuxedoes and mini skirts.
The Philippine abaca industry provides employment for more than 1.5 million Filipinos, from farmers to exporters. In the past decade, it has earned over $89 million annually from exports.
Piña, a delicate fabric used for luxury wear, has been experiencing an irregular production. The highest export volume in 2010 was 3,793 meters.
Experiments on pineapple fiber with polyester have proven that it could be produced in mass quantities.

PATIS TESORO.On Sirene: Blush handpainted gown in piña seda. On Maxine: Hand-painted and beaded wheel-print maria clara blouse and skirtmade from Silk Cocoon. Nude pumps from Primadonna

DITA SANDICO.On Sirene: Pink Conelia wrap.OnMaxine: White Mori “banaca” wrap as inner wrap and blue “banaca” wrap with beaded and hand-painted flowers as outer wrap

**simple** · 07-01-2014, 04:59 AM

Pineapple weaving

**simple** · 07-01-2014, 12:36 PM

Other Filipino designers used the same indigenous fabrics like Oliver Tolentino

Through his incorporation of native fabrics derived from pineapple fibers (piña), abaca plant fibers, water-lily leaves, jute and raw silk cocoon, Tolentino has become an advisor to – and promoter of – his native country’s weavers and embroiderers. In 2013, EURONEWS chose him as the sole designer to represent his country in a piece that ran in a dozen foreign languages throughout Europe and the Middle East, and featured his eco work. Also in 2013, Tolentino traveled with an AP (Associated Press) film crew to Lumban province to promote its centuries-old hand embroidery industry.

http://www.olivertolentino.com/profi...rtolentino.php

**simple** · 07-01-2014, 02:16 PM

The other native products in the Philippines when it comes to fashion for Exquisite variety of handbags and beach bags made from all Natural Acacia Wood, Pandan, Raffia, Coco, Abaca, Sinamay accented with wood, Shells, Buri and many other natural components. Filipina handbag designer Rocio Olbes bags are all made in the Philippines.

“I am proud to proclaim that our bags are made in the Philippines,” Rocio declares. “Thanks to designers like Natori, Celestina and Rafe Totengco, the Philippines is now a player in the global fashion world. I hope to do my share to reinforce this belief.”

http://www.philstar.com/allure/45028...olbes-bag-lady